Diaby´s own goal gifts United victory over Arsenal

A week of penalty controversies continued for Arsenal at Old Trafford as Wayne Rooney scored a crucial equaliser from the spot before Abou Diaby’s own goal gave Manchester United a 2-1 victory over the Gunners on Saturday.

And a game of high drama ended on a note of even greater controversy with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger dismissed for his protestations that Robin van Persie’s 95th-minute effort had been ruled out because of an offside decision against Williams Gallas.

Wenger had earlier seen his goalkeeper Manuel Almunia controversially adjudged to have brought down Rooney in the 57th minute, a decision that did not please the visitors, especially when the England forward dusted himself down and scored the resulting kick.

The visitors had had their own decent first half appeal turned down and their mood worsened in the 63rd minute when United took the lead through Diaby’s own goal.

Ryan Giggs’ right-wing free-kick was aimed at Rooney but Diaby bizarrely leapt to head past Almunia from six yards out.

Wenger’s team had been full value for the lead until that point after Andrey Arshavin struck in the 40th minute with a quite exceptional finish, moments after he had been denied what looked a clear penalty by referee Mike Dean following a challenge from Darren Fletcher.

Perhaps the midweek incident involving Arsenal striker Eduardo, guilty of a blatant dive which won a penalty decision in the Champions League game against Celtic, was weighing upon the subconscious of the official.

For there was no other explanation why Fletcher’s crude sliding foul on Arshavin should have gone unpunished, not that the Russian forward spent too long mulling over the injustice of the decision.

Within seconds, Denilson played a neat, short pass that Arshavin collected midway in the United half and, with the defence inexplicably backing away, the Arsenal man was allowed to advance to the edge of the home area before unleashing a fantastically judged shot into the left-hand side of the goal.

It was an effort that was just reward for a period of superior Arsenal possession and play following a cautious opening from both teams.

Fletcher should have done better after 10 minutes when an intelligent pass from Rooney put him clear unmarked on the penalty spot only for the midfield man to hurry his attempt over the bar.

Arsenal should have scored the opening goal when skipper van Persie missed a golden chance in the 24th minute, taking Emmanuel Eboue’s pass in his stride but delaying and allowing Patrice Evra to block his eventual shot.

The resulting Van Persie corner then forced Ben Foster into a poor, palmed clearance with Arshavin driving the rebound wide.

But Arshavin fired Arsenal into the lead with a fine strike that Foster should have done better with.

Arsenal could have increased their lead early in the second half when an electrifying run by Arshavin to the United by-line saw him drag the ball back accurately for van Persie whose deft shot was only kept out by the reflexes, and boot, of Foster.

It was against the run of play, therefore, that United claimed their 59th-minute penalty equaliser through Rooney, although Arsenal almost equalised five minutes later when van Persie drove a brilliant free-kick against the home team’s crossbar.

Diaby almost made amends for his own goal within a minute, appearing 12 yards from the Arsenal goal but rolling his shot just wide, their last clear-cut chance of securing at least a point and maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.