Football: Wright's pitch feud ends in tunnel scuffle

FA CARLING PREMIERSHIP: Arsenal striker clashes with keeper Schmeichel as resilient United underline their title credentials

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2

Bad blood and good football made for compelling action at Highbury last night. There were three goals, six bookings, a manager on the pitch and, but for police intervention at the entrance to the tunnel, a post-match scuffle could have been more serious. When the dust settled Arsenal had lost ground in the Premiership race, their unbeaten home League record, and three key players. Manchester United, meanwhile, kept their Premiership lead.

United have the look of champions. It was evident in a scintillating first-half display, illuminated by goals from Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And it was apparent in their refusal to bow to Arsenal's footballing and physical might.

"It was a significant win," said Alex Ferguson, the United manager. "It gives us breathing space over Arsenal. They were banking on winning this one."

Arsenal's title chance is drifting away. An already thin squad last night lost Tony Adams to injury and Ian Wright and Steve Bould to suspension. The club with the worst disciplinary record in the Premiership were lucky not to suffer more grievously as Wright might easily have been dismissed. He may yet face further punishment.

He had already been booked when, with 13 minutes to go, he clattered into Peter Schmeichel. Television replays suggested a two-footed tackle and an angry Ferguson dashed on to the field. The referee, Martin Bodenham, consulted the linesman then let Wright be.

This was the latest incident in a feud which has come to typify the long- running bad blood between the sides. Wright was booked for a similar challenge on Schmeichel in the November meeting, a match which was followed by Wright's allegation that Schmeichel had racially abused him - a claim the goalkeeper denied.

This time he followed up by confronting Schmeichel as he went to enter the tunnel at the final whistle. Gary Lewin, the Arsenal physiotherapist, pulled Wright away but he broke free and, according to eye-witnesses, had to be restrained by police. Bodenham later said he had not seen the incident but had been made aware of it by police and would be including it in his report to the Football Association.

Neither Ferguson nor Arsene Wenger would comment, but the Arsenal manager did intimate that, if something had happened in the tunnel, it was hardly unique to Highbury. He added: "Whenever things happen to Wright it seems the whole country is talking about it. Was it right that Ferguson went on the pitch? Is that normal? I don't think so?"

After Wright had missed a good chance from Dennis Bergkamp's intelligent pass United took control. Composed in defence, inventive in midfield and mobile in attack they made Arsenal's ageing defence look ponderous.

With Eric Cantona suspended and Paul Scholes injured United had paired Solskjaer and Cole together for the first time. They quickly clicked. Solskjaer was harshly treated - both Adams and Steve Bould were booked for fouling him - but remained undaunted while Cole enjoyed his return to Highbury.

United's first came after Adams misjudged Gary Neville's forward ball after 18 minutes. It ran for Cole, who skipped around John Lukic and slid the ball home from an acute angle.

A quarter of an hour later United scored again - from an Arsenal corner. It was cleared to Ryan Giggs and he found Karel Poborsky. The Czech, having one of his better United games, moved the ball on to Cole, who picked out Solskjaer on the left. He drilled the ball inside the far post.

Adams, who had suffered a recurrence of his ankle injury, did not come out for the second half and it was his replacement, Stephen Hughes, who sparked Arsenal's revival. United had wasted several good chances when Hughes cracked a 20-yard drive against the crossbar. The rebound fell to Wright who lashed it in.

A linesman's flag ruled that "goal" out but Arsenal were encouraged and, with 21 minutes left, the steadily improving Ray Parlour collected Paul Merson's pass on the right. He crossed for Bergkamp to score brilliantly at the near post.

Arsenal piled forward, but their momentum was disturbed by the Wright/Schmeichel incident and, in the end, United could have won by more with Cole missing two good chances.

Arsenal (3-5-2): Lukic; Keown, Adams (Hughes, h/t), Bould; Dixon, Parlour, Vieira, Merson, Winterburn; Bergkamp, Wright. Substitutes not used: Selley, Marshall, Shaw, Harper (gk).

Manchester United (4-4-2): Schmeichel; G Neville, Johnsen, Pallister, Irwin; Poborsky (Butt, 71, McClair, 87), Beckham, Keane, Giggs; Solskjaer, Cole. Substitutes not used: P Neville, Cruyff, Van der Gouw (gk).

Referee: M Bodenham (Cornwall).