ACTUALITE |
06.11.2001
Arsenal find there is a Sylvain lining against United reserves
LONDON, Nov
A hat-trick from French international striker Sylvain Wiltord inspired Arsenal to a 4-0 crushing of a second-string Manchester United side in their League Cup third round match at Highbury on Monday.
Wiltord`s first-half hat-trick, which was added to by Nwankwo Kanu`s penalty in the second-half, restored some morale to the Gunners following their 4-2 home defeat by Charlton on Sunday and not even the sending-off of substitute defender Richard Halls put them in any danger.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reacted ruefully to the turnaround in their fortunes in 24 hours.
"That`s football. We should play maybe every day," the Frenchman told ITV.
"We had an aggressive attitude and it made it decisive for us. We had a little bit more experience. We had the strength and power of the adults to win the game.
"Wiltord was outstanding tonight and Kanu as well. In the middle of the park (Ray) Parlour and (Gilles) Grimandi did well."
United were left to contemplate their second defeat in two days leaving them with just one victory in their last seven matches.
Their manager Alex Ferguson, who cut a dejected figure after the 3-1 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday, said he was proud of how his youngsters had performed.
"It was how you would expect," he said.
"The pleasing thing for me was we kept playing nice football. That`s the way we expect Manchester United players to express themselves."
He was particularly pleased by the performance of midfielder Michael Stewart.
"I think he (Stewart) is a certainty to make it, to be a top player" the Scotsman predicted.
Ferguson, who retires from his post at the end of the season, said things would be very different when the two teams reopposed each other in the Premiership on November 25.
"The big boys will be about," he said.
"Maybe we will make it more of a match when it`s men against men," he added.
Wiltord testing the offside rule to the limit got off the mark in the 14th minute.p
A precise through ball from Kanu set up the former Bordeaux star, who, running at full speed into the box, fired left-footed past United keeper Roy Carroll.
Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright, who had a nightmare on Sunday punching the ball into his own net for one of Charlton`s goals, had to move quickly off his line to save from Danny Webber, fed by Djordic, midway through the first half.
Arsenal went further ahead in the 29th minute from a dubious penalty decision by referee Mike Riley.
Kanu went down in the box under pressure from Carroll, leaving Wiltord to fire home his second from the spot, just sneaking the ball under the Northern Irish international`s body.
Moments before the end of the first half, Wiltord completed his hat-trick.
Ray Parlour flighted the ball into the box and Wiltord, first guiding the ball upwards with his head, poked the ball past Carroll on the volley.
Wiltord was only denied a fourth early in the second-half by a superb save from Raimond van de Gouw, who had come on at half-time for Carroll, while United had their best chance just after the hour mark when a deflection from a freekick forced Wright into a superb touch onto the bar.
Kanu then added a fourth for the Gunners from the penalty spot after Wiltord was sent sprawling in the box by Ronnie Wallwork.
Halls sullied Arsenal`s night with his sending-off but apart from some determined runs by Luke Chadwick United never threatened to breach the opponents goal.
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