FERGIE MEN IN DREAMLAND

Manchester United were last night left one step from heaven.

The ambition which has driven on Sir Alex Ferguson’s hungry side this season has been to become the first team ever to retain the Champions League.

And after leaving Arsenal shellshocked with a blistering start, their dream might just come true as Arsene Wenger’s night turned into a semi-final nightmare.

All the hope and expectation swirling around the Emirates on the crest of thousands of red and white flags were just swept away by a stunning opening 11 minutes by United.

In that time they scored two goals to leave Arsenal facing an impossible task of scoring four to win the match.

United were unlucky last week when they saw a hatful of chances go begging at Old Trafford, and arrived in north London with just a 1-0 advantage through John O’Shea.

They made up for it last night as an Arsenal howler gave them the lead and set them on their way to Rome.
The Gunners began the game at full throttle, roared on by their 60,000 crowd – but they were soon silenced.

With United’s very first attack in the eighth minute Anderson fed Cristiano Ronaldo on the left.

The Portuguese World Player of the Year dangerously pulled his low centre back across the face of the penalty area.

It looked like young Kieran Gibbs would cut out the danger but he slipped at the vital moment allowing the ball to run to Ji-Sung Park.

And this time United took full advantage of the chance gifted to them on a plate as the South Korean – preferred to Carlos Tevez – lifted his effort past Manuel Almunia.

It was so cruel on 19-year-old Gibbs, who was left heartbroken by the calamitous mistake but at the same time it exposed his inexperience and the value of the injured Gael Clichy.

The Emirates was stunned as the optimism drained away, and the life was virtually crushed out of the Gunners just three minutes later.

Almunia had been Arsenal’s hero at Old Trafford, almost single-handedly keeping a tigerish United at bay. But he was a disaster last night for both goals.

He could have done better with the first, and was as lost as many as his defenders in the first leg for the second.

The Spaniard’s attempt to save Ronaldo’s free-kick was embarrassing.

Robin Van Persie had fouled the winger, and he stepped up to hit a fierce drive from 41 yards out.

Although it swerved a bit, it was at head height and was there to be saved, but for some reason Almunia seemed to dive under the ball.

It was catastrophic for Arsenal and left Wenger with his head in his hands in utter desperation and frustration.

Ronaldo had scored a brilliant 40-yard strike in the quarter-final second leg in Porto, and this again showed how the Footballer of the Year rises to the occasion.

Wenger had talked about how he might have needed an ambulance if in November he had suggested his side could make the Champions League Final.

After this opening he could quite easily have been carted off in a straitjacket.

Before kick-off he was confident his young guns could defeat United’s European champions.

The Frenchman wanted to make United pay for the profligacy a week before but his team never got a chance.

On the face of it Van Persie’s return to the team from injury looked like a major boost, but it made little difference as United did not give them a chance to get going.

There is no doubt that Fergie was right that, of all the battles between these old rivals, this was by far and away the biggest – but he never expected it to be quite so one-sided.

His team was boosted by the recovery of Rio Ferdinand to take his place again at the heart of defence.

He finished the first tie with a bruised rib and lung, and was coughing up blood.

Arsenal were playing in limbo, and if Almunia had not saved a curler from Wayne Rooney, they would have been three goals behind.

Wenger’s response at half-time was to replace the devastated Gibbs with Emmanuel Eboue.

Almunia was again alert in the 53rd minute when this time he made a great save from Ronaldo, but it was too little too late from the Spaniard. Then came the goal of the game as Arsenal’s humiliation was complete.

United struck in the 61st minute with a devastating counter-attack which finished with that boy Ronaldo scoring a brilliant second.

The winger back-heeled a ball into the path of Park as another Arsenal attack broke down.
He strode forward and angled a pass perfectly for Rooney to run on to.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo was racing forward at breakneck speed like a thoroughbred and was on hand to slide his shot home after Rooney’s defence-splitting cross.

It was simply beautiful football and one that United’s whole approach to this tie deserved.

For Wenger, though, it must have been gut-wrenching to be thrashed on his own turf. Arsenal’s 76th minute consolation response brought heartbreak for United’s Darren Fletcher.

Fergie had already replaced Rooney and Patrice Evra, the two men on yellow cards, to protect them from suspension for the final.

But when Fletcher challenged Cesc Fabregas and seemed to win the ball off him fairly, Italian referee Roberto Rosetti saw it differently.

He awarded Arsenal a penalty and wasted no time showing the shattered Fletcher a red card.

It means he misses the final against the winners of tonight’s clash between Chelsea and Barcelona after being an unused substitute in last year’s final.

As he left the action, Van Persie stepped forward to lash his spot-kick past Dutch team-mate Edwin Van der Sar. But that goal was scant consolation for the Gunners.