Highbury clash of the giants a classic, claims Ferguson
The Red Devils’ momentous 4-2 win ended any lingering hope of the Gunners’ retaining their title and left United as the only realistic challengers to runaway leaders Chelsea.
Ferguson has spent the last three days bringing his team back down to earth in time for today’s must-win Old Trafford clash with Birmingham.
But while he insisted United were fully primed to face Steve Bruce’s men, Ferguson could not help reflecting on a powderkeg encounter that will go down as one of the all-time greats.
“Tuesday’s game produced a level of football that you will not see matched many times,” he said.
“To get that kind of drama, intensity and pure excitement in a single game is amazing.
“It is a tribute to every player involved in the game. They raised the bar and in doing so produced what might have been the best game the Premiership has ever seen. It was the kind of match you just didn’t want to end.
“At times like that, Sky must realise how lucky they are. They have done a fantastic job in taking English football on but to get something like that to show viewers all round the world, it must have left their producers purring like cats.”
Unfortunately for Ferguson and his team, the momentum generated by the startling win was halted almost immediately by the unstoppable Chelsea bandwagon, which rolled Blackburn over at Ewood Park on Wednesday night.
Despite losing just once since the opening day of the season and picking up 35 points from a possible 39 in their last 13 matches, United still find themselves 11 points adrift of Jose Mourinho’s men.
Ferguson knows it would take a combination of an unexpected Chelsea collapse and the Red Devils maintaining their own impressive form for his team to stand any chance of lifting their ninth Premiership title.
However, he insists his team have the potential to take advantage of any Chelsea slip and is not expecting to follow up the Arsenal victory with a miserable defeat, as occurred at Portsmouth immediately after the Gunners’ 49-game unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt at Old Trafford in October.
Ferguson will be forced to make at least two changes to his starting line-up as Darren Fletcher has been ruled out with a hamstring problem, while Mikael Silvestre starts a three-game ban following his Highbury dismissal.
Wes Brown looks certain to replace Silvestre alongside Rio Ferdinand, while Louis Saha should also earn a recall after Ferguson ruled Alan Smith out for another fortnight.
Smith has suffered a setback in his recovery from the ankle injury he picked up at Chelsea a fortnight ago, although he is expected to be fit in time to face AC Milan in the Champions League on February 23.
Ferguson also revealed Ruud van Nistelrooy is on course to be fit to face the Italians after stepping up his training in Holland in his bid to recover from his long-standing Achilles problem.
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