Adebayor My Lord, Adebayor

I have waited a couple of hours before composing my thoughts on the defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford. I didn't want to write anything in the warm afterglow that followed the final whistle, and perhaps overdo the celebrations.

Let me backtrack four hours. I arranged to meet the man who runs the finest independent Arsenal website to watch what I feared would be a familiar contest. Early in the first half my worst fears were confirmed. Graham Poll saw fit to book Crazy Jens for having the temerity to pick the ball up in his own box. I have to confess at this point that I confided in my companion for the day that Poll would stop at nothing to ensure United would emerge triumphant at the end of the day. I had not of course expected to have the legs cut from under my argument when the hapless official awarded us a penalty for Adebayor's strange lack of balance prior to the arrival of a clumsy Kuszczak challenge. Before I say justice was done by the subsequent Gilberto slip, and Kuszczak save, let me point out that if this penalty had seen Arsenal go two goals clear, then it would have been justified by the posession figures. For any visiting team at Old Trafford to have had, at half-time, sixty-two percent of the ball, would have spoken volumes for their quality.

Those of you who have been following the Gunners for as long as I would have approached the second half knowing only two outcomes were possible. I shared with my friend the certain knowledge that one goal WOULD decide the outcome. Not COULD, you understand, but WOULD! Either the home team would suddenly discover a glimpse of the form that had taken them to the pinnacle of the Premiership in the opening weeks of the season, or justice would prevail.

Then came that moment when all became clear. No, not then, the goal had yet to arrive. I mean the moment Ferguson conceded he had been tactically outsmarted by the better man on the day. United withdrew Rooney and Scholes, their heavyweight reputations. The introduction of the lightweight Carrick and Solskjaer confirmed that the tide was well and truly in the visitors' favour.

Adebayor's finish from a moment of Fabregas magic was no more than Arsenal richly deserved. In the last year or so we have been used to returning from the north-west having been kicked out of contention. This was the day that Wenger's latest incarnation proved that they can produce the goods in a hostile environment without resorting to the clog.

This was the day that Wenger strangely emulated George Graham. Remember May 1989 at Anfield? Graham resorted to a 5-3-2 formation in the title decider, and yet used it as a platform to assume an attacking dominance when it was most needed. Wenger achieved this with his variation of a 4-5-1 formation today. Don't believe me? Think back to which half of the pitch Eboue and Gallas were in when shown in close-up today. Tell me who was doing most of the attacking prompting, the invisible Rooney, or the sensational Rosicky.

It has been a difficult start to the season, but today tells us that Arsenal have the quality to get results anywhere, against anybody. Let us hope that consistency is close behind.