You always knew it was going to happen, just not so quickly, before even a ball had been hardly kicked. Robin Van Persie scored Manchester United's opener in the third minute as the home side cruised to a comfortable 2-1 victory over the Dutchman's old club Arsenal.
It was not an 8-2 drubbing, but in many ways the early kickoff at Old Trafford showed the gulf between the two sides, as United coasted to a win with Van Persie and Patrice Evra scoring the goals for United, before Santi Cazorla netted a consolation in the final moments.
United are top of the table with 24 points from ten games, with Chelsea, who play Swansea later on, able to go back on top with a victory. Arsenal are a massive nine points behind the Red Devils with 15 from ten matches.
Manchester United are title contenders, Arsenal, who went down to ten men in the second half after Jack Wilshere picked up a second yellow card, are not even remotely close.
In a performance from the Gunners reminiscent of the ones against Norwich City and Schalke, Arsenal were outplayed, outrun and outwitted by Manchester United.
United got off to the best possible start. Rafael stormed in from the right to cross, only for Thomas Vermaelen, who replaced Van Persie as Arsenal's captain, to completely make a hash of the clearance and gift the ball to the last person you should give it to - Van Persie calmly slotting it to the bottom corner past Vito Mannone with his right foot.
If the first goal was supposed to wake Arsenal up, and give themselves an impetus to go on and show what they are made of, it was not evident. United controlled the game completely, closing down the Arsenal midfield in spades and carving out almost every single chance in the first half.
Following a cagey 15-minute period after the goal, United got their second clearcut chance of the game -- Van Persie again getting in behind the Arsenal defense, but seeing his strike well saved by Mannone - if it not were for the Arsenal goalkeeper, then the score would have been a lot more embarrassing for the Gunners.
Arsenal's first chance came for Aaron Ramsey, who left Evra behind him, but saw his cross-shot from a tight angle kept out by David De Gea, who for much of the match was a mere spectator.
Wayne Rooney, who was constantly dropping deep and orchestrating the United play, decided to sting Mannone's hands with a powerful strike, with Van Persie's tame header off the rebound also kept out.
Olivier Giroud then headed high from the near post off a corner, before United, in stoppage time of the first half had the perfect opportunity to double their lead. A cross from Ashley Young on the left, struck Cazorla on the arms with referee Mike Dean pointing to the spot. Rooney stepped up, but fired his spotkick wide.
If Arsenal were supposed to take advantage of the let-off in the second period, come a much more galvanized side and take matters into their own hands like they did against Reading in the League Cup a few days back, the Gunners faithful were to be disappointed.
United started the better team yet again in the second half, with Antonio Valencia missing the simplest of opportunities. Vermaelen's second mistake of the match allowed Van Persie, who else, to take the ball and cross from the right to the unmarked Valencia, but the United winger inexplicably missed his shot completely with the goal at his mercy.
Arsenal then had a decent period of possession, carving out a couple of decent chances -- Olivier Giroud's the standout. Andre Santos played the ball out to the left to Cazorla, whose low cross was well controlled by the French striker, before brilliantly getting his shot off on the turn, but only managing to see his strike hit the outside of the near post. Wilshere, having already picked up a yellow, then could have been sent off after a rash challenge on Van Persie, with Tom Cleverly also lucky to stay on the pitch following a poor tackle on Wilshere. In a strange period, Van Persie then received a yellow for a late challenge on Sagna, before Arsenal's chances of a comeback were snuffed out by Patrice Evra in the 67th minute.
Mannone made a brilliant save to keep out Van Persie, but off the resulting corner United scored their second. Evra rose above a Vermaelen to head in off a Rooney cross, after the ball had been nicely worked to him off a corner. Poor defending from Arsenal yet again they're undoing.
If there was still a glimmer of hope among the Arsenal fans, it was definitely gone when Wilshere caught Evra after initially miscontrolling the ball -- Riley not hesitating to give a second yellow.
Substitute Anderson, who came on for Cleverley after Sir Alex Ferguson decided to take off the midfielder for his own sake, then put the ball into the back of the net, after being played in by Van Persie, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.
Santi Cazorla got Arsenal a consolation goal in the final minute, striking from the outside of the box into the top corner, but the goal came a little too late for the away side to turn things around as United held on for a deserved victory.
