Trebles all round for inspired Arsenal

Manchester United 0 Arsenal

Manchester United's uniquely ambitious quadruple is no more, but Arsenal's double Double is still very much on. As the champions and FA Cup holders eased to a supremely confident victory yesterday afternoon, nine thousand Londoners – the ones supporting the visitors – were even ordering trebles. "We'll be back again in May," they chanted, referring to the Champions' League final at Old Trafford. On yesterday's evidence, United will not be providing the opposition.

Although it would not have been clear from the shuddering commitment shown by the players, the FA Cup had been reduced to third on the list of priorities for both clubs. A resumption of European competition this week meant that Arsenal left Thierry Henry on the substitutes' bench and Dennis Bergkamp in London with Gilberto Silva, who had barely arrived back from his midweek international in, of all places, China.

It hardly mattered; Edu, standing in for his fellow-Brazilian, had one of his best games alongside the outstanding Patrick Vieira; Francis Jeffers ran intelligently, well supported by a willing Sylvain Wiltord. In defence, Arsène Wenger sensibly chose his strongest combination, with Martin Keown standing firm at the heart of things, where Pascal Cygan had stumbled through the 2-0 Premiership defeat 10 weeks earlier.

Sir Alex Ferguson had only Juan Sebastian Veron missing from his strongest side, but, whether he would admit it or not, must have been hugely disappointed at how they performed. Passing was poor, creativity lacking and finishing so weak that it was difficult to recall a shot on target.

The low point came after half an hour, with a miss by Ryan Giggs in front of an empty net that was difficult to credit. Had he put United ahead at that stage, the following chapters might have told a different tale, but Wenger was justified in believing the denouement would have been the same.

Ferguson, ever loyal to his players, glossed over their inadequacies on the day with criticism of the referee, Jeff Winter. Ignoring neutral opinion that Ruud van Nistelrooy and Paul Scholes might each have been sent off, United's manager said: "I thought the referee was bullied. I don't think the Arsenal players handled it well. Surrounding the referee in numbers the way they did creates havoc. United players don't do that. If we had, there would have been mayhem." As there was, of course, when Roy Keane famously led a posse after Andy D'Urso on the same pitch.

In fact, there was no shortage of red shirts in the referee's face during a first 10 minutes worthy – or unworthy – of Twickenham. When Scholes caught Vieira in only the fourth minute it was already his second clear foul on Arsenal's captain; Van Nistelrooy immediately re-ignited his feud with Keown (who had been fined £5,000 for pushing him in the previous game) with a wild charge, and then caught Lauren in the face. Each incident attracted a crowd of jostling players.

Perhaps United believed that the Londoners could be outfought again, as they clearly had been in December by more legitimate means. This time Arsenal were ready and willing. "They tried to intimidate us," was Wenger's version, "but we kept focused on playing well. We didn't react when there was an intimidating period."

Arsenal did, indeed, settle down better, until Giggs set up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to shoot against David Seaman's near post. It was the Welshman's best moment of the game, and even then his pass would have given Solskjaer more time to shoot had it been more firmly hit.

Keown made his one error of the afternoon in trying to play Van Nistelrooy onside, but retrieved it by racing back for a saving tackle. Then, in the 32nd minute, came the moment to haunt Giggs, the shirt-waving hero of the 1999 FA Cup semi-final between the teams for his wondrous individual goal. A rare penetrating pass by David Beckham sent him through, a deft first touch eluded Seaman and a fortunate second deceived Sol Campbell to leave the goal unguarded; never mind rolling the ball in, Giggs could have blown it home. Without establishing enough control, however, he went quite unnecessarily for power and somehow managed to clear the crossbar.

Only three minutes later, the error was horribly magnified after Keane was deemed to have tripped Vieira – a decision furiously contested by United's players, supporters and manager. Under the ludicrous rule by which the player fouled has to leave the pitch after being treated, Vieira was escorted to the touchline, from where he watched Edu's 25-yard free-kick swerve off Beckham's shoulder, leaving Fabien Barthez stranded.

An equaliser at some stage would have tested the resolve and stamina of Wenger's travelling band of internationals. Instead, they effectively settled the tie six minutes into the second half before any hint of reprisals. Edu's continuing excellence created the chance, his pass finding Wiltord, who darted behind the out-of-sorts Rio Ferdinand and across Wes Brown before beating Barthez.

The home support tried to rally their side, then seemed, like the team, to lose heart after poor Giggs made a mess of Beckham's cross. Solskjaer, presented with an equally inviting opportunity, bulged the side-netting at the far post. Giggs trotted off to sympathetic applause but Diego Forlan was a poor replacement in midfield and the final chance was Arsenal's: Henry, given 20 minutes in place of Jeffers, sent Wiltord away with a wonderful pass, only for Brown's tackle to match it.

After nine wins and two draws, it was a first defeat for United since Boxing Day, and a first at home since Bolton Wanderers' unlikely success in September. "We can concentrate on the League and do something about that," Ferguson said. Three points behind yesterday's victors, they will need to, without neglecting either the Champions' League or the forthcoming Worthington Cup final against Liverpool. All the more so since, as Wenger insisted: "This game will strengthen our belief." Not a quality his squad conspicuously lack.

Manchester United 0 Arsenal 2
Edu 34, Wiltord 52

Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 67,209