Manchester United swept to a magnificent 8-2 victory over 10-man Arsenal as the champions produced the perfect response after Manchester City had underlined their title credentials with a 5-1 rout of Tottenham earlier.
City had thrown down the gauntlet to United as Edin Dzeko scored four times to destroy Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday, but Sir Alex Ferguson's team emphasised their determination to hold onto the Premier League crown with a Wayne Rooney hat-trick reducing beleaguered Arsenal to rubble in a sublime display at Old Trafford.
Ferguson once again fielded a youthful line-up and his gifted prodigies rose to the occasion in impressive style to record their third successive win of the season and move ahead of second placed City on goal difference at the top of the table.
“You feel humiliated when you concede eight goals. It was a terrible day for us,” Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said.
“It was a combination of an under-strength team and weakness. We collapsed physically in the second half,” he added.
Ferguson said, “It is (a surprise) because when you play Arsenal you expect a difficult game. If you look at Arsenal the team is weakened but we still did the job.”
{{/usCountry}}Ferguson said, “It is (a surprise) because when you play Arsenal you expect a difficult game. If you look at Arsenal the team is weakened but we still did the job.”
{{/usCountry}}Danny Welbeck opened the scoring with a close-range header in the 22nd minute after Johan Djourou failed to clear Anderson's chipped pass and Arsenal squandered a chance to level when Robin van Persie's penalty, awarded for a Jonny Evans foul on Theo Walcott, was saved by David De Gea.