Manchester United vs. Arsenal: Scoring the 5 Key Battles at Old Trafford

In a football match, there are small battles between the clubs. Usually, the winner of these small battles will win the match.

In Manchester United's 8-2 drubbing of Arsenal, they did a pretty good job at winning the smaller battles. For the most part, United did everything better than Arsenal. They played well in the first half, and then the champions turned it on in the second half.

Here is a look at the five biggest battles within the match and who won them.

David De Gea vs. Robin Van Persie

Winner: David De Gea

This matchup turned out to be the game changer.

After Manchester United opened up the scoring in the 22nd minute, Jonny Evans took Theo Walcott down in the box. This gave Arsenal a chance to level the scoring from the spot.

With Robin Van Persie stepping up to take the kick, Arsenal surely looked like they were going to even the score. However, Van Persie took a soft penalty that was extremely close to De Gea, and the Spaniard was able to usher the ball wide.

De Gea has looked shaky in the first couple matches, but this could be the confidence boost the youngster needs.

Shortly after this penalty, United doubled their lead, and Arsenal never had a chance to recover.

Anderson and Cleverley vs. Coquelin and Ramsey

Winner: Anderson and Cleverley

In a match of this nature, the central midfielders usually dictate how the match will play out.

They are responsible for facilitating the attacking, dropping back to defend and linking the defenders to the strikers. If the midfielders are unable to do this, teams will fall apart.

Even though Manchester United's midfield has been questioned, they answered the naysayers yet again. Once again, Anderson looked like a completely different player from years past, as he played slightly in front of Tom Cleverly, facilitating attack after attack. As for the youngster, Cleverley looked well beyond his years once again.

Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey were inconsequential, proving that Arsenal need Alex Song (and Bacary Sagna, for that matter) to return.

Arsenal did not play terribly in the midfield. Still, they were no match for United's unrelenting attack.

Nani and Young vs. Arshavin and Walcott

Winner: Nani and Young

This was actually the closest contested matchup.

Although Nani and Ashley Young played incredibly well, Andrei Arshavin and Theo Walcott were two of Arsenal's bright spots.

Arshavin had a close-range shot deflected, and Walcott drew a penalty, pushed up on his side and gave the Gunners life with his first-half goal. These two wingers gave Arsenal a chance to win, but it was not nearly enough.

Nani was dangerous all over the pitch, and he finally got into the scoring action with a clever chip in the 67th minute.

Young was spectacular throughout the match. First, he took a supposed clear and curled it into the top corner, leaving Wojciech Szczesny breathless. Then, in stoppage time, he sent another shot into the top corner, leaving Arsenal with a cruel parting gift.

Although Arsenal's wingers made some plays, they were simply not enough to match United's star power.

United Strikers vs. Arsenal Defense

Winner: United's Strikers

Surprising winner, huh?

By looking at the scoreline, it is easy to see that United's strikers were simply too much for the Arsenal defense. When you watched the match, it was just as obvious.

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, as he was just too strong for Johan Djourou. When he went off with an injury, Chicharito stepped on and created some serious problems for the chasing Gunners.

While Wayne Rooney played well in the open field, Arsenal handed him each of his goals. His first set piece was lifted masterfully into the top corner. In the 64th minute, Djourou desperately brought Rooney down outside the area, which only set up the striker's second goal (another fantastic free kick). Then, in the 80th minute, Theo Walcott took Patrice Evra down in the area, allowing Rooney to complete his hat-trick from the spot.

All in all, Arsenal were simply chasing the United attackers. They tried to be physical, but the fouls they conceded were dumb. Giving Wayne Rooney free kick opportunities is foolish, and the Gunners paid the price.

Arsene Wenger vs. Sir Alex Ferguson

Winner: Sir Alex Ferguson

These are two of the most well-known managers in the English Premier League, but Ferguson absolutely outwitted Arsene Wenger on Sunday.

Although Wenger's talent pool has dropped drastically below Ferguson's, he simply did not have very good tactics in place. Arsenal were simply chasing United, and they never quite looked organized in the second half.

By no means is Wenger the only one to blame for this debacle. His players did not perform well, and they did not capitalize on their chances. The Gunners were missing eight players, and Wenger is still trying to figure out his best squad without Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

With that being said, Ferguson seemed to have the perfect game plan, whereas Wenger seemed to just let his squad play.

If you have any doubt about which manager was embarrassed, just look at which one was told that he was "getting sacked in the morning."