London: Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at the Emirates in a match dominated by Robin van Persie`s return to this old club.
Theo Walcott gave the hosts the lead inside the second minute as Arsenal raced out of the blocks but they were pegged back at the end of the half courtesy of a Van Persie penalty.
After a week`s worth of speculation Van Persie started on his return to the Emirates, while Lukas Podolski also made a rare start as Arsenal`s central striker with Olivier Giroud missing through suspension.
The Gunners got off to the perfect start in front of their red hot home support when Walcott beat the offside trap and calmly found a way past David de Gea from a tight angle inside the second minute, though replays showed he was half a yard offside.
Santi Cazorla then stung the hands of the United keeper with a shot from range as Arsenal maintained their early momentum.
Van Persie`s first real involvement in the game was a miscued shot which sailed high over the bar just after the 10-minute mark, much to the delight of the Gunners` supporters.
Those fans then collectively held their breath moments later when the Dutchman broke down the left flank before crossing for Phil Jones, who failed to find the target with a header after surging into the box.
Arsene Wenger`s men lost some of that early impetus as the first half wore on but were sparked back into life when Jonny Evans brought down Walcott just outside the area.
The free kick was wasted but moments later Arsenal had a glorious chance to double their lead on the counterattack. Rosicky elected to pass to Podolski, rather than the unmarked Walcott, but the German could only fire his shot from a tight angle straight at De Gea.
Arsenal then had Wojciech Szczesny to thank for keeping them ahead just before the break. The Poland international made himself big to keep out Van Persie`s header from point-blank range after a swift United counterattack.
But moments later Van Persie made no mistake, this time from the spot, after Sagna`s rash challenge on the Dutchman gave United a penalty.
The full-back had given the ball to his former team-mate with a poor pass, and then brought him down in the box as he treid to make amends.
The Gunners made a bright start after the break and could have gone ahead early on but Tomas Rosicky`s prod with the outside of his boot whistled just past the De Gea`s far post.
Sir Alex`s side soon edged back into the contest and dictated the game for the next 15 minutes. Van Persie overhit a low cross past the onrushing Antonio Valencia before Wayne Rooney wasted a good chance with a header straight at Szczesny from close range.
Arsenal rallied for a winner in an end-to-end finale, with Sir Alex`s side still a threat on the break, but neither side could fashion the clear cut chance needed to win the game.
Cazorla came close with a powerful right-footed shot which was palmed away by De Gea with minutes left on the clock before Ryan Giggs wasted a great opportunity when found totally unmarked on the break by Rooney.
Wenger may see the draw as a missed opportunity to strengthen their grip on a top-four finish, while United can now no longer beat Chelsea`s record Premier League points haul of 95.
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.