Video: Paul Scholes Red Card v City

Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup to the hands of their local rivals Manchester City on Saturday, and the game wasn't without it's talking points. One talking point was the red card to Paul Scholes in which he raised is foot in an attempt to win the ball only to be terribly late and catch a whole load of Pablo Zabaleta's leg rather than any of the ball. Unfortunately, it was worthy of a red card, and there is no debating that, no matter how much you support United and Scholes. 

United went on to of course lose with 10 men, but in all honesty, the way the team played throughout the game, they were not likely to grab a goal and get back into it. It was a rare poor game in which Nani and Valencia were ineffective on the wings, rarely providing any crosses into the box, where the loan striker Berbatov suffered from early missed opportunities and struggled for chances throughout, and where United really missed Wayne Rooney.

Paul Scholes is not known for his precise, perfectly timed tackles - but rather the complete opposite, but at this stage of his career and at such a crucial time in a massive game, it wasn't the best time to commit a red card offence. I recently wrote about the apparent imminent departure of Paul Scholes due to retirement, and that perhaps this game's result could sway his mind into staying for another year at United. However, this incident may sway his mind in the other direction, and may force him into retirement. 

If the United legend does retire at the end of the season, it would be reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane's departure from football; his red card in the World Cup final 2006 with France. Scholes however will have a big part to play in the rest of the season for United, in both the Premier League and Champions League, as United remain on course for the double. 

Arsenal Outplayed & Dominated by Relentless Barca

Watch Goals Here
Barcelona achieved 76% of possession against Arsenal. Need I continue?

When Barcelona have the ball and keep it, which they do tenaciously and in apparent ease, the opposition has very little chance of getting anything from the game. Arsenal attempted not a single shot on target. Not one. The utter dominance of Barcelona in all areas of the pitch meant that the absence of their two centre halves, Puyol and Pique was irrelevant in an easy win for the classy Spanish side (I use classy very loosely with Dani Alves, but more on that later).

Arsenal may say that they were hard done by, with a red card brandished to the hard of hearing Rob van Persie early in the second half as he shot wide after the whistle had gone for offside. His pleas that he could not hear the whistle due to the 95,000 screaming fans - a good defence - fell on deaf ears, and the referee decided to show the second yellow in an extremely harsh move which all but ended any fair competitiveness in the painfully one sided match.
Van Persie complained after the match of his red card:

"I think it was a total joke. How can I hear his whistle with 95,000 people jumping up? How can I hear it? Please explain that?"

"I can't understand the view from the ref. One second from his whistle to my shot is a joke. He has been bad all evening. He was against us. I don't know why he was here tonight, it's a joke.

"We feel betrayed, almost. We tried really hard. When it was 1-1 it was all to play for. But, in my opinion, the ref killed the game."

Even so, Arsenal were being controlled, pinned back, outplayed before the sending off, and if anything, Arsenal spent more time in the Barcelona half after the Dutchman's sending off. It was simply a story of the better side winning; I have never seen a game so one sided in possession and chances in the Champions League.

The first goal was inevitable. Wojciech Sczcesny went off early on after his first save of the game injured his finger. Almunia came on, and had a good game - probably Arsenal's best player, but he could do nothing to stop Messi from dinking the ball over him and swiping it into the back of the net for the opener.

In between the action, there was the odd pathetic dive. Diving infuriates me beyond belief, the replays shown on Sky making my fists clench in anger and jaw tighten in utter fury. Although so many footballers are at fault in this department, Dani Alves is one that so many times throws himself to the floor, clutching some part of his body - any part of his body all to con the referee. He gets away with it too. Maddening.

Arsenals goal was scored by Busquets - from a Nasri corner. Perhaps he felt sorry for them, wanted to give them a fighting chance - something to work with and hold on to. Probably not. But for all the intricate passing from Barcelona, their beautiful football was countered by a simple ball into the box, headed into their own net by their own player. A little ironic.

But Barcelona fought back with their wonderful football. Intricate passing, great vision, umarkable movement, all leavin Arsenal defenders on their rear ends, as the tricks and turns left them flat footed. Carved open, Xavi passed the ball into the net, as if it were his team mate, and wheeled away, jubilant. Onto the third.

The Arsenal box was occupied so often by Barcelona, and so it was only a matter of time before someone went down and won a penalty. To my diving hating relief, it was a penalty, fairly awarded for a Koscielny tackle which brought down the Barca player with a late, trailing leg. Messi duly stroked it artistically home, and the game was won.

The deserved winners march on in the competition, leaving Arsenal licking their wounds in preparation for a crucial clash with Manchester United in a far more winnable FA Cup tie. Time to pick themselves up and push on.

Was it a Penalty? United 1 - 0 Liverpool

Only 31 seconds in, and Berbatov went down in the penalty area through a challenge from Daniel Agger, and Howard Webb pointed to the spot. Liverpool fans would only have seen the following events in their nightmares, as Giggs stepped up to beat Reina, with replays showing that the contact on Berbatov for the penalty was minimal to say the least. It was the worst possible start for Kenny Dalglish, as he stood, mouth open in disbelief at the decision that had been made.

It wasn't a penalty. Agger didn't get the ball in his challenge, but the contact on Berbatov was not enough to bring him down. Berbatov claimed afterwards that anyone who knows him knows that he doesn't go down easily, but the challenge from Agger was enough to make him lose his balance. Two contradicting statements from the Bulgarian striker there, but the referee gave the penalty, and the game was basically won for United.

Half an hour later, and the situation for Liverpool became even worse. As a ball rolled in the centre of the pitch, Carrick and Gerrard ran to win it. Carrick just got there first, and nicked the ball away from the Liverpool captain, but with all the trademark passion and character that has made him a Liverpool legend and talisman, Gerrard dived in, intent on winning the ball and leaving his mark. He did the latter. The tackle was dangerous, he missed the ball, Carrick layed in a rolling heap on the Old Trafford pitch, and the 70,000 or so United fans called for Gerrard to be gone - all contributing to Gerrard's dismissal, as the United faithful got their wish.

At first glance, we may have said that a sending off was a tad harsh being only half an hour into the game, but Dalglish's accepting reaction to the replay confirmed that complaints to the red card were invalid, and Dalglish walked back to his seat without any complaints. He knew though, that the task ahead was a vertical climb up a giant mountain with resources that would not cut it. In other words, with the players on the pitch, and with the form they have been in, the task ahead was close to impossible.

United never really got into a groove. They were comfortable on the ball, and comfortable coping with the few Liverpool attacks that were attempted, but they weren't cutting enough or ruthless enough in the game to get the goal to seal the game off  - mainly because, they didn't need to. United were easily the stronger side.

The big build up to a game between two old rivals ended up with a match being decided by two big refereeing decisions. It wasn't the intensely gripping, passionate duel between two of the biggest names in English football that had been anticipated for the neutral, but the drama of the first half and Dalglish's return was enough to keep curious and nervous eyes on the game, and see United hold out for what ended as a comfortable but somewhat disappointing win.

Gerrard will miss the next three games for Liverpool, which includes the Merseyside derby, leaving Dalglish with the unenviable task of looking for some decent and affordable players in the transfer market to help get Liverpool's season back on track.