Sir Alex Furguson Salutes 'Fantastic' Park

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Park Ji-sung for his matchwinning efforts as Manchester United beat Arsenal 1-0 at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Park's excellent first-half header proved to be the difference as United marched two points clear at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand.

It should have been more than 1-0 too as Wayne Rooney missed a penalty 17 minutes from time.
Indeed, Ferguson's only disappointment was that he must soon say goodbye to Park as he competes for his country at the Asia Cup in Qatar.
"Ji is in fantastic form," said Ferguson.
"Unfortunately we are going to lose him for seven matches after December 26. It is disappointing."
It is the second time in as many months United were indebted to Park, whose injury-time goal secured victory against Wolves in November.
United still had to shred a few nerves tonight after Rooney skied a spot-kick over the bar.
"I have never seen him put one over the bar before," said Ferguson.
Nani also went close with a couple of opportunities, while Arsenal's only real chance came when Edwin van der Sar pushed a Samir Nasri shot into the path of Marouane Chamakh, only for skipper Nemanja Vidic to make a vital block.
"Manchester United defended very well, but technically, the quality of the game was average," said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, before outlining his unhappiness with the surface.
"We were not quick and sharp in possession. That was partly down to their defending but also the quality of the pitch.

"If I ask you for a good or a bad pitch, what do you say?
"They made technical mistakes as well. The pitch is not good enough."
Arsenal have now gone seven games without a win against United and have a similarly poor record in their encounters with Chelsea, who they face at the Emirates Stadium on December 27.
Not that Wenger was inclined to rise to the bait of such an apparent failing.
"Calm down," he declared.
"You have to be realistic and objective and not necessarily reach big conclusions.
"I am here to analyse one game. You have to give credit to Manchester United for their defending."
Wenger did reserve praise for 20-year-old keeper Wojciech Szczesny, who did well on his Premier League debut after a shaky start.
"He didn't make any mistakes," said Wenger.
"If you can do the job, the size of the game is not important.
"I saw Edwin van der Sar playing in big games when he was 18."
Van der Sar could not be keeping clean sheets at a more important time.
After their own stuttering start, United have now taken 20 points from their last 24 and know victory at Chelsea on Sunday would make them overwhelming favourites to reclaim their title and secure a record 19th championship.
"We have a difficult game against Chelsea on Sunday but it is also a very important game," said Ferguson.
"We had to play well tonight, but we have been playing well.
"The first-half was excellent and we should have done better on the counter-attack in the second.
"But our back four did really well. They are really getting their form now.
"If they maintain that consistency, we will have a good chance."

Man United beats Gunners in Top Clash

Park Ji-sung's first-half strike was enough for Manchester United as they knocked Arsenal off top spot in the Premier League with a 1-0 win. Park ensured the visiting Chilean miners were able to celebrate a home victory on their momentous visit to Old Trafford.
David Beckham was also in a star-studded directors' box to see the Red Devils secure a triumph that maintains their unbeaten record.
Far more importantly, it sends them two points clear of the chasing pack, with a match in hand.

It should have been more. United wasted countless chances, the best of which being a penalty from Wayne Rooney 17 minutes from time that he ballooned over the bar.

For Arsenal, the sorry statistic of a fifth reverse concealed a desperately disappointing performance which did not get that much better even after Arsene Wenger had thrown his star man Cesc Fabregas on in a last desperate bid to secure a share of the spoils.
Ferguson made the point in his programme notes that Arsenal are not the "lilywhites" they are often painted and so it proved during a tight first half in which the Gunners were well prepared to dish out some rough treatment.
On a ground where they have often been ill-treated in the past, the visitors were more than willing to stand toe-to-toe with their opponents, the only surprise being that World Cup final referee Howard Webb did not book Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin until the last seconds of the opening period.
By that point, the hosts were basking in Park's opener.
The South Korean is one of the men whose recent improvement has retained United's position amongst the title contenders.
It was his injury-time goal that secured victory over Wolves last month and it was an equally well-received effort that allowed United to seize the initiative.
Set free by Rooney's neat nod-down, Nani crossed from the right and not even a deflection off Gael Clichy could prevent the ball bouncing to Park, who contorted his body in such a way as to loop a header over Wojciech Szczesny and into the net.
For Szczesny it was a bitter blow.
Handed his league debut after just three League Cup starts for the Gunners, the Pole had been a confident presence in what has so often been a problem position for Wenger.

Sebastien Squillaci was responsible for the weak clearance that allowed Nani to send a first-time volley whistling past the Pole's right-hand post it was the hand of Chamakh that could easily have brought a penalty for United when he rather awkwardly got in the way of Nani's cross.
Arsenal were a disappointment.
The in-form Samir Nasri was a virtual bystander whilst Arshavin got onto the ball far more often but his final ball was a major let-down.
Twice the hosts came close to doubling their advantage during the opening minutes of the second period.
As part of his impressive evening, Szczesny produced a save reminiscent of Peter Schmeichel in his pomp to deny Anderson, who had burst onto a pass Rooney threaded through the Gunners defence.
Then Nani fired over at the end of a fast counter, started by Anderson robbing Jack Wilshere near the United box and he felt he should have ended it as he screamed in vain for a far-post cross after finding himself completely unmarked.
In between, Nasri had brought a full-length save out of Edwin van der Sar and Nemanja Vidic had blocked as Chamakh tried to turn home the rebound.
Nasri was far more productive, although it was the double introduction of Fabregas and Robin van Persie that really showed how determined Arsenal were not to leave defeated.
The bold move did leave them vulnerable to the counter-attack and it was on one such raid that Nani earned his side a penalty as he checked inside Clichy and forced the Frenchman to handle.
Without a goal in open play since March, the England striker has scored from the spot twice this season. It was also the fifth United penalty in Arsenal's last eight visits to Old Trafford.
There was no goal on this occasion though as Rooney ballooned his effort way over the bar.
It did not sap the striker's confidence and a superb chip brought an excellent save out of Szczesny after latching onto Rio Ferdinand's pass.
Theo Walcott wasted the Gunners' last chance to condemn them to defeat.