Manchester United 1 - 3 Arsenal

FA Charity Shield

Second half goals from Gilberto and Jose Antonio Reyes, along with a deflected Ashley Cole shot resulting in a ManUre own goal, gave Arsenal a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon in the FA Charity Shield match at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

I was able to watch this match at the Dark Horse in Philly with Scott and ArsenalAmerica founder Rick Liebling. The first half was entertaining purely from a “Gee, it’s great football’s back, isn’t it?” kind of vibe. Thierry Henry made a surprise start, and it was good to see him get a few touches, and basically get the feel of a game for the first time since June.

Jose Reyes was amazing, and absolutely deserved the Man Of The Match award.

With all of the scoring coming in the second half, it was interesting to see how Arsenal’s tactics changed with Thierry Henry off of the pitch. Henry is the greatest player in the world right now, and I think that some of the other players pass the ball to him in the hopes that he’ll make something happen. Oftentimes he does, but without VaVaVoom’s presence, players like Reyes and Van Persie really stepped up.

Van Persie was a revelation, and it’s obvious he’ll be a great scoring threat from midfield. Another pleasant surprise was the starting role given 17-year-old midfielder Cesc Fabregas. He played extremely well, despite his terrible mullet.

Jermaine Pennant also impressed on his return to Arsenal after his season-long stint at Leeds last year. Pennant has been dogged by stories of attitude and behavioral issues, but has stated publicly his desire to changes his lifestyle in order to earn a permanent place with the Gunners.

The only downside to this great day in Cardiff was the injury suffered by striker Jeremie Aliadiere. The poor guy just can’t stay healthy. He suffered what looked like knee ligament damage, and will most likely be out for several weeks.

In other Arsenal news, Francis Jeffers completed a £2.6 million transfer to Charlton Athletic. Jeffers has to be considered one of the few “busts” to have joined the Gunners during Arsene Wenger’s tenure. Coming from Everton in 2002 for £8 million, Jeffers was touted as the “fox in the box.” A striking partner that would serve as the perfect foil for Thierry Henry, cashing in on all of the chances TiTi creates. Alas, it was not meant to be.