It was a case of what might have been for Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime in the Premier League, as Arsenal nicked a point at Old Trafford in the dying embers of the game.
In what was a cagey affair in the first half in particular, summing up both manager’s desire to not lose to the other, United had the better of the chances with Petr Cech forced into action on more than one occasion.
The Red Devils also had a penalty shout denied by Andre Marriner in the first 45 and, as replays showed, it was the right call from the man in the middle.
After half-time things stepped up a notch as United tried to seize the initiative and found a break through with just over 20 minutes to go through a fine finish by Spaniard Juan Mata.
It was no less than the Red Devils deserved but to their credit, Arsenal held in there and equalised through Olivier Giroud to take a draw from Old Trafford.
Here are five images that perfectly sum up the keenly-fought contest.
Reunited
Sky Sports dubbed the fixture ‘reunited’ as Manchester United and Arsenal locked horns once again in the Premier League. The two managers have made it clear over the years that they don’t have a lot of time for one another but did manage this rather frosty looking hand shake just before kickoff. In the end, it was a case of shared spoils at Old Trafford, both managers leaving without losing too much face and a point apiece.
Mourinho annoyed with officials, again
No-one was protesting more than Mourinho when Andre Marriner ruled a challenge from Nacho Monreal on Antonio Valencia to be a fair one rather than worthy of a penalty. The Portuguese manager lost his cool on the touchline, running and raving about his technical area, before resigning himself to accepting the decision. He couldn’t help but put his head in his hands, though, and you could feel a full-time rant beginning to brew in his mind.
Rooney returns after well publicised week
It’s been well documented what Wayne Rooney got up to earlier in the week but he found himself playing his part in the draw after coming on in the second half. Whatever you think of the story, namely him being spotted looking bleary-eyed at a wedding in the early hours, the former Everton man applied himself well enough on the Old Trafford pitch. He, and his manager, will now hope that everybody can put the PR disaster behind them.
Mata key for United
The Spaniard continued to prove to Jose Mourinho that he should have never let him go whilst serving as Chelsea boss and now he cannot afford to let him go from Old Trafford. Mata has a happy habit of scoring in the big games and against Arsenal, so it came as no surprise that the former Valencia man was the shining star for United this weekend. Ultimately, though, his Man of the Match performance wasn’t enough to seal a victory.
Giroud saves Arsenal
With just a matter of minutes left on the clock for United to hold on, substitute Olivier Giroud popped up with a header at the far post and equalised for Arsenal. During a game which saw United emerge the better of the two sides for large periods, the Frenchman gave the Gunners an unlikely point that could be crucial in the title race. The result will undoubtedly give Arsenal more belief than United, who are now well behind the pack.