Andrey Arshavin capped a brilliant first half by putting Arsenal ahead and if Ben Foster had not denied Robin van Persie with a brilliant feet-first save, Arsenal would probably have won.
Instead, Wayne Rooney won a penalty when he went down under Manuel Almunia's challenge, and scored it himself before Abou Diaby turned Ryan Giggs' free-kick into his own net to give the hosts their victory.
Van Persie thought he had equalised deep into stoppage time but his effort was ruled out for an offside against William Gallas, and Arsene Wenger's protest against the disallowed goal led to him being sent from the dug-out.
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler (born 4 May 1987) is a professional central midfielder who captains the English Premier League club Arsenal and plays for the Spanish national team.
Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of sixteen. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season, he established himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder and playmaker. He went on to break several of the club's records, earning a reputation as a technically gifted player.
In international football, the Spaniard's national career began when he represented the winning Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland. As a result of his club performances, he was called up to the senior squad in 2006. He has played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, where he helped Spain to become eventual winners in the latter.
| Full name | Francesc Fàbregas i Soler | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 May 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Central midfielder | ||
| Full name | Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 February 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Full name | Wayne Mark Rooney | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 October 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Croxteth, Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Second striker | ||
