Manchester United remain on course to be the first team to retain a Champions league trophy after a 3-1 win at Arsenal last night. United started with a 1-0 advantage from the game at Old Trafford last week and after a good attacking start from Arsenal, goals from Ji-Sung Park and Cristiano Ronaldo almost certainly snuffed out the Gunners chances of a win within the first eleven minutes.
Ronaldo grabbed a second after the break and looked on course for a hat-trick before Robin Van Persie pulled one back after Darrren Fletcher was harshly sent-off for bringing down Cesc Fabregas, a penalisation which will cost him a place in the final in Rome on the 27th May. Barcelona and Chelsea will play at Stamford Bridge tonight for the chance to face United. Chelsea, who lost last year’s game on a penalty shoot-out have the advantage having held Barcelona at 0-0 at the Nou Camp, a feat no team has managed this season.
United boss Alex Ferguson expects a repeat of last year’s all English final, saying ‘Barca have problems at centre-back. I fancy Chelsea’. A victory for Manchester United means that they will be the first team since Milan in 1989 and 1990 to remain European Champions two years running, and the first ever team to do so since the competition became the UEFA Champions league.
