Danny Welbeck's sublime finish proved vital in Arsenal's 2-1 away victory over arch-rivals Manchester United, and what a heck of a show it was! Despite valiant efforts from Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young, United weren't strong enough to see off the Gunners who staked their claim to being favorites to retain their FA Cup title. The atmosphere in Manchester was far from hostile, as match-winner and former United boy Danny Welbeck received mainly cheers with a few jeers on the side from the home supporters, but that didn't change the outcome of a fantastic evening for Arsenal!
Back in August, Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal made it clear that Welbeck wasn't good enough to feature in his team, that he wasn't a requirement that suited his standards, thus replacing the United native with the superb loan capture of Colombian hitman Radamel Falcao, a player many perceived to have been more than a fantastic upgrade to Welbeck's talents! Today, Van Gaal's gamble not only costed him the respect of his fans and the media, but more importantly it costed him any chance of winning a single trophy this season! Danny Welbeck has seen to it that this was the case, as his celebration after his brilliant goal was the highlight of sports tabloids and also proved to be another nail in the coffin of Van Gaal.
Welbeck has finally provided hope to Arsenal supporters, that there may finally be something special about this young lad after all! Welbeck has often come under intense scrutiny regarding his performances, which at times proved his inability to perform as a top-class striker many have been hoping he would become, thus often leading to questions about him being the right fit for Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger. On Monday night, any such feelings may have been quelled for the time being, as Arsenal and its fans can finally parade down the streets of London and give themselves a pat on the back for finally breaking the 'United' curse over the last twelve games, a curse that has so long taken a toll on the pride and egos of Arsenal fans! The team should be applauded for their valiant effort, as it proved successful; and the time for Arsenal to rise more than ever, is now.
Aside from the fact that Falcao was demoted to the United under-21's on Tuesday, Van Gaal's arrogance proves the point that he has destroyed the United philosophy left by Sir Alex Ferguson, by failing to get the best out of his own players, a visible sign of imminent failure, and to top it off, having the player he so rejected and shipped off to his very own rivals kick him out of the FA Cup! Danny Welbeck should consider himself extremely blessed to have escaped United at a time when the club is in shambles, even worse because of a manager who is oblivious to the English game. The celebrations will be ringing right through until weekend as Arsenal once again prepare for a big test when they face West Ham at home, a game they need to win in order to maintain any hopes of Champions League football next season. Danny Welbeck should now use this opportunity to continue the momentum of Monday night, and evoke his brilliance, and prove to the world that he is indeed deserving of his place at Arsenal, and that he is ready to one day be considered among the world's best! We've had our doubts about Danny, we all have, but after such display against Van Gaal's men, he more than deserves a second chance at glory, he has earned his spot, and he will need to make toe most of his opportunity and send a message to United, the fans that even jeered him, and to Van Gaal, that he isn't finished just yet!
Arsenal will then face their biggest task come next week in their Champions League away game to Monaco, hoping to overturn a 3-1 deficit and see themselves through to the quarterfinal stage for the first time in five seasons. There's finally renewed confidence injected in this team, something they needed for a long time. Will Danny Welbeck prove his worth once again and deliver?
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