UEFA CL - Arsenal vs Manchester United - May 5

• zocoss

  1 May 09, 10:58

  

   

   

      VS     

   

   Arsenal vs Manchester United 

   

   

  Chanpions League Semi-Finals (2nd Leg) 

   

  Tuesday, 5 May 2009     

    

  Channel 23:  2:45 am  "Live"  (Wed Morning)

   

   

   
• zocoss

  1 May 09, 11:58

  CESC: TIE IS STILL OPEN

  

  
  
  

  Cesc Fabregas says that Arsenal's victory over Manchester United at the Emirates this season gives them faith that the Champions League tie is not over. 

  The Spaniard was part of the the Gunners' side beaten 1-0 by United at Old Trafford, but says it will be a different story at the Emirates. 

  He points towards Arsenal's 2-1 win (though of course that scoreline would not be enough) over United back in November when Samir Nasri scored twice. 

  "How much stronger are we at home? We showed that in the league, by beating them and scoring two goals," said Fabregas. 

  "Let's think about the league, and the tie is still open. You look at the 1-0 scoreline, and we have seen worse things than that in the Champions League. 

  "Man United deserved to win, but now it is up to us to play well at the Emirates and beat them. 

  "We have to be more clinical in front of goal - that's for sure. 

  "We passed the ball a lot and combined very well, but we were not clinical enough. That is what we have to improve."

• yourmotherrr

  2 May 09, 01:38

  manu to win by 2-0.
• Rock^Star

  2 May 09, 03:01

  arsenal will lose la, wenger's karma when up against ferguson, is always weak.

   

  Keegan couldnt do it, Wenger lost out after some short time, roy evans couldnt do it, kenny dalglish couldn't, mourinho couldn't....and rafa also wouldnt accomplish it hahaha. Who's next?

• marcteng

  2 May 09, 11:29

  I thnk Arsenal will be a changed team come next Tuesday. They will be playing their usual possession and quick passing game. If Utd get an early goal, Arsenal would need to score 3 to win the game and that would unsettle them at the start. Even if Utd were to concede, I hope they do not panic and concentrate on scoring a goal, which will be an away goal. Anyway any goal they scored is an away goal :)
• marcteng

  2 May 09, 21:59

  there is a high chance that rio will be fit for tuesday match. if not evans will replace him if he is unfit
• skythewood

  2 May 09, 22:06

  root for arsenal, I hope they win the game 2-1, or 3-2

• iceFatboy

  2 May 09, 22:25

  :)

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 23:29

  Rooney, Tevez and Evra are all one yellow card away from missing the final... So they need to be careful... Just as with, RVP and Song for Arsenal...

• marcteng

  3 May 09, 23:35

  dangerous sia, like keane and scholes missing the 99 finals after getting yellow carded in the semis
• zocoss

  3 May 09, 23:52

  Yeah, most important is cannot lose Rooney, 2nd Evra, then 3rd Tevez...

• omgukilledkenny

  4 May 09, 00:21

  I'm pretty certain Rooney won't shy away from a tackle even if he's got this yellow.

• iceFatboy

  4 May 09, 11:19

  Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:

  I'm pretty certain Rooney won't shy away from a tackle even if he's got this yellow.

  yep, if evra and rooney do that, may as well put them on bench.

  but if MU were to progress, it would be less colorful if these two are missing.

• zocoss

  4 May 09, 12:12

  Robin van Persie makes shock return for United clash in the Champions League
  

   

  

  Cutting edge: Wenger hopes Van Persie can make Arsenal a more dangerous outfit against United at the Emirates

   

  Robin van Persie will make a shock comeback against Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday as Arsenal bid to improve on their flawed performance at Old Trafford and overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

  The Holland striker has been struggling with a groin injury for a fortnight but his rehabilitation is geared towards making him available for Tuesday, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hoping to field a full-strength attack of Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri, though Croatia striker Eduardo will be ruled out with a groin injury he sustained in the first leg.

  Van Persie has struggled with a succession of injuries in the past two seasons and was ultra-cautious when he damaged his groin in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, but Wenger has held him back for the decisive match of the tie and the defining game of Arsenal's season.

  The Gunners manager hopes Van Persie will add the cutting edge his young team lacked in the first leg. Wenger said: 'United were sharper than us in the final third in the first half-hour of the first leg, but we had a lot of possession in the final part of the game, we just weren't dangerous enough.

  'I look to the whole team in these big situations. Like when we were a penalty down in Rome and still made it with a young team. You can see they will not be affected by pressure.

  'They can hold their nerve. We had a tough time in the away leg, but United will experience a tough time at the Emirates. 'We are 90 minutes from where we want to be, in the final, and I and the whole squad believe we can do it.'

• SandmanX

  4 May 09, 13:23

  Wah, Van Persie back in. Have to watch out already leh but I'm pretty sure United will seal the match early on.

• iceFatboy

  4 May 09, 13:28

  Originally posted by SandmanX:

  Wah, Van Persie back in. Have to watch out already leh but I'm pretty sure United will seal the match early on.

  depends on flow of game, if MU scores first, then Gunners will be pressed to come forward which may work in MU's way. if Gunners scores, then it will be hard fought..

  just my 1cents.

• marcteng

  4 May 09, 14:58

  Form Guide: Arsenal’s 0-1 loss at Old Trafford in the first leg was only their second defeat against English opposition this year; prior to losing the FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea at Wembley, their last reverse was way back on 2 December, in a Carling Cup tie at Burnley. The Reds are bidding to become the third away team to beat the Gunners at their own ground, following Hull City in September and Aston Villa in November. That said, a repeat of any of United’s results so far at the Emirates - 2-1 defeat (twice) or a 2-2 draw - would take Sir Alex Ferguson’s men through to the final on away goals or aggregate. Ins and Outs: Arsene Wenger made eight changes at Portsmouth to Sir Alex Ferguson’s seven at Middlesbrough on Saturday. The Arsenal manager retained only right-sided pair Bacary Sagna and Theo Walcott plus Alex Song who retreated from midfield into the centre of defence; however, the young Gunners were still good enough to comfortably beat Portsmouth 3-0 and guarantee the club a top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League. Afterwards, Wenger admitted to being worried about Robin van Persie and Mikael Silvestre for Tuesday’s match; he’s already had to rule out Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky and now Eduardo – the unlucky striker suffered a groin injury after coming on as a substitute at Old Trafford. United’s only concern really is over Rio Ferdinand, who bruised a lung during the first leg against Arsenal. Sir Alex said after the Boro game, “We’ll know more on Monday. We rested him today so he could get over it and the doc’s been to see him a couple of times. Hopefully he’ll be alright.�
• omgukilledkenny

  4 May 09, 18:27

  Ferdinand fitness boost for United

  

  Manchester United have been given a major lift ahead of their Champions League semi-final with Arsenal as Rio Ferdinand returned to training.

  It had been feared the England defender would miss Tuesday's second leg at the Emirates Stadium after suffering damage to his ribs and a bruised lung at Old Trafford last week.

  But the presence of Ferdinand on the Carrington training ground on Monday morning suggests he will face Arsene Wenger's men.

  Such was the damage Ferdinand suffered in a collision with Edwin van der Sar that he was coughing up blood in the United dressing room last Wednesday.

  He spent the night in hospital, although scans revealed the £29.1million England international had not suffered any extensive damage to his ribs.

  Ferdinand was left out of Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough but given the importance of Tuesday's game, when United will attempt to defend a single goal lead, Sir Alex Ferguson wants the former West Ham skipper if at all possible.

• marcteng

  4 May 09, 20:51

  thats is great news as Rio is a rock at the centre of man utd defence with Vdic. but not sure if he will play though, as 1 week might not be enough for him to recover.
• Funf@ir

  4 May 09, 23:08

  1 dream,2 manager,3x the hatred. Fergie(Man Utd) VS Wenger(Arsenal), the greatest match of rivalry in 2009 Champions League!!!!
• zocoss

  4 May 09, 23:25

  I feel Anderson will start the match... He has been very good since their FC Porto match... He seems to have recapture his last season form again... Last season when Scholes was out for 3, 4 months, he came in and played so well even marking Gerrard out totally in their match...

  Hope he give another good performance tomorrow...

• omgukilledkenny

  5 May 09, 01:05

  I don't mind the same line up that played in the first leg actually.

• Keii

  5 May 09, 03:54

  Question. If this match is played in April... Something must be very salah.

• zocoss

  5 May 09, 10:52

  Fergie in Roon final fear

   

  

   

  WAYNE ROONEY has been warned he faces the heartbreak of missing a Champions League final. The firebrand Manchester United striker is just one booking away from a ban for the big game in Rome on May 27. 

  Rooney, 23, starts against Arsenal in the second leg of the semi-final at the Emirates tonight with United leading 1-0. And boss Alex Ferguson said: “He knows the circumstances. He is a mature young man. “He understands it perfectly well. He needs to stay disciplined and most of the time he is that way. I don’t have to spell it out to him.” 

  Rooney’s United team-mate Paul Scholes missed the 1999 final win over Bayern Munich, along with Roy Keane, after they received second bookings in the semi against Juventus. 

  Fergie added: “Obviously if a player steps out of line there are definitely no excuses. “It is an Italian referee for this game — Roberto Rosetti. 

  “He understands the seriousness of a player getting a booking and missing the final because of that. “I have noticed a trend of the referees being very professional and tolerant. They are well up to handling the situation.” 

  Carlos Tevez and Patrice Evra are also just a booking away from a final KO. Scholes and Keane felt they did not deserve their winner’s medals in 1999 because they had not played in the final — despite their efforts in the previous rounds.

• omgukilledkenny

  5 May 09, 16:25

  Nike made a preview for the 2nd leg.

  Nice lei.

  http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikefootball-en_GB/2009/05/01/seize-your-moment