Man United’s Wayne Rooney was main man v Arsenal, says Gary Neville

Gary Neville says it was “Wayne Rooney’s day” after the striker inspired Manchester United to a 1-0 win against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Red Devils avoided falling further behind the Premier League leaders thanks to Robin van Persie’s 27th-minute winner against the north London side at Old Trafford.

But it was Rooney’s performance which particularly caught the eye, and former United defender Neville wasn’t surprised by the forward’s impact against the Gunners.

“I thought it would be Wayne Rooney’s day,” Rooney told United’s website.

“I thought he would come to the fore and be a real powerhouse and give a big performance. He was joined by others of course, but he was the main man.

“It was a performance of desire and hard work and stopping Arsenal play. I’ve watched them a lot in the last few weeks and they just weren’t allowed to play on Sunday – that’s always the key to beating them. We thoroughly deserved to win.”

Neville admitted United had to beat Arsenal to close the gap to five points or else face a tough battle to win their Premier League title crown.

“The points situation was a big factor on Sunday. It was a must-win game. I felt we’d have been in big trouble in term of the title if we’d have lost,” Neville added.

“We’ve started slowly this season and yet we’re still within five points of the top of the league which is not a bad position to be in. We need to go on a 10/12-match unbeaten run now. Chelsea, Arsenal and [Manchester] City will probably be thinking the same but someone needs to grab things by the scruff of the neck. Hopefully it’s us.”