It is conceivable that Arsenal are heading for the title, but the leaders keep stopping to check the map. Hardly anyone in the squad has completed that journey with this club and Kolo Touré is the only player in the current line-up who was established in the side when the Premier League was last won, in 2004. The tentativeness and the degree to which Arsenal can overcome it make for an absorbing tale.
On Saturday the reigning champions were, by contrast, brisk and purposeful for much of their visit, as if they had memorised every step required to get through a challenge such as this. Even their newcomers grasped the procedures. Until he tired, Manchester United's expensive teenager Anderson was full of fiery ability in midfield and the combination of commitment and sporadically dubious behaviour witnessed at the weekend will make the Brazilian a cult hero to his own fans, a dastardly villain to others.
With of a game of growing fascination in delicate balance at 1-1, he brought on Theo Walcott, an 18-year-old yet to acquire the hardiness of someone like Anderson. Shortly afterwards, United introduced the fully mature, if injury-prone, Louis Saha. With eight minutes left, Patrice Evra burst away from Walcott, collected a superb reverse pass from Saha and rolled over the ball from which Cristiano Ronaldo put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
United did appear to have deeper resources but, as Wenger implies, that might be an illusion based on ignorance of what his relatively unfamiliar side has to offer. With this result the squad has now come up with a club record run of 25 fixtures unbeaten in all competitions. While Sir Alex Ferguson's team would not let them be at their sleekest, Arsenal also ensured that United conceded two goals in a Premier League fixture for the first time since April.
In his own arcane manner, Wenger is still achieving something remarkable and his men, fighting back for draws with Liverpool and United in successive weekends, are revealing tenacity. While Ferguson complained rightly that a foul should have been awarded before Arsenal notched their second goal in stoppage time, the same had been true of the visitors' opener at the very close of the first half.
Play continued and Ronaldo's low cross was met by Wayne Rooney, whose touch deflected the ball off William Gallas for an unlucky own goal. With Adebayor acting, on Wenger's instructions, as a more orthodox centre-forward after that Arsenal did revive. In the 48th minute, the Togo striker met an Emmanuel Eboué chip to shoot against the advancing Edwin van der Sar and the alert Bacary Sagna cut the loose ball back for Cesc Fábregas to calmly roll in his 11th goal of the season.
In stoppage time, Gaël Clichy sent in an excellent cross and Walcott miskicked before Gallas made clean contact with a bouncing ball to angle a finish that was only clawed out by Van der Sar once it had crossed the line. It was question of a foot and there might be as little to separate these clubs over the course of the campaign.
The Telegraph
Sir Alex Ferguson could start a fight at Woodstock, and his acrimonious departure from the Emirates must be viewed with a mixture of contempt and sadness. The law-makers should act over his accusation that referee Howard Webb "favoured" Arsenal. The bookmakers should act to cut Manchester United's title odds.
Ferguson's decision to rail against everyone from stewards to officials cannot obscure the real issue: United's remarkable manager has fashioned another outstanding team, one looking eminently capable of outlasting any rival in the Premier League race.
At the end of a match that, like Ferguson, came slowly to the boil, Arsenal talked confidently of their heightened stamina levels, making them well-equipped to live with United over a 90-minute match and a nine-month season. Yet even as Arsene Wenger's fine, rapidly maturing array of talents went into their celebratory huddle after William Gallas' deserved late equaliser, the feeling remained that Ferguson holds more aces in the game of patience, risk and cunning that is the Premier League campaign.
Ferguson boasts a more secure keeper in Edwin van der Sar than Manuel Almunia His central defenders, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, look the best blend around, just superior to Arsenal's Gallas-Kolo Toure axis and John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho at Chelsea.
Ferguson also returned north having acquired a point at the home of the league leaders without his main creative forces, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, really hitting their elegant stride. Vitally, two of them still contributed: Rooney, quiet but industrious, pressured Gallas into an own goal. Ronaldo rarely produced those trademark electrifying dribbles, yet he made one goal and scored another. Only Tevez disappointed.
United's most impressive player was arguably Anderson, who could develop into a real star turn if he eradicates an unedifying streak of gamesmanship. The Brazilian can tackle, see a pass, find team-mates, and work busily from box to box. He formed a strong barrier alongside Owen Hargreaves.
Ferguson has this knack of spotting individuals who will slot easily into the collective: Anderson, Hargreaves and Tevez already look well-established.
A welcoming committee including Rooney, Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs helps, but the galvanising force is Ferguson.
The fire within burns as strong as ever. Determined to play the "world's against us" card, Ferguson laid into stewards for not protecting the away benches from the invective of certain Arsenal fans. The spleen vented at Ferguson and his staff was "absolutely disgraceful", to quote the Scot, and Arsenal must investigate his complaint. Ferguson might have elicited more sympathy if he acknowledged that Wenger endures far worse abuse at Old Trafford.
Having berated stewards for not silencing the bile council, Ferguson also slated Webb. Sometimes, Ferguson just resembles a grumpy old patient, lashing out at anyone before the nurses arrive with the screens and the sedatives.
With admiring nods to Anderson, Patrice Evra, Gallas and Cesc Fabregas, Webb was probably the best performer on the field. Comfortably the nation's top referee, Webb handled the most important game of the season with calmness, a lack of "look at me" vanity, and he got the big calls right - time after time.
Ferguson's tactics reflected his respect. Rooney drifted left to temper Emmanuel Eboue's surges. The midfielders got close to Fabregas to prevent Arsenal's "so-called beautiful football" in Hargreaves' rather dismissive phrase.
The Times
Had they not been sighted side-by-side on the Manchester United bench, it would have been hard to believe that Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz had attended the same match. Terrible abuse from people two or three feet away, Sir Alex raged, while Queiroz commended his hosts on the atmosphere in the stadium. Arsenal equalised only by pumping long balls into the box, the manager snapped. We should congratulate the players of both teams, it was a great day for football, his coach said with a smile. The referee favoured Arsenal, Sir Alex howled. It was fantastic to see this game, his contrary sounding-board concluded.
Arsenal's injury-time goal must have been hard to take, particularly when on previous occasions United goalkeepers such as Roy Carroll have been allowed to operate with imaginary goallines a good yard behind the posts, but William Gallas levelled the game fair and square and justice was done with a point apiece. Arsenal had the best of the play, United the best of the chances.
Queiroz was right because the players of both teams deserved credit for barely taking a backward step after half-time; Ferguson was wrong, because Howard Webb, the referee, did Arsenal no favours and, if anything, the home team got a raw deal. Ferguson thought he saw a foul on Louis Saha in the build-up to Arsenal's second goal, but more striking was the push on Alexander Hleb by Wes Brown that aided United's first. A penalty-area tug committed by Nemanja Vidic on Hleb was also waved away. Despite this, the draw was the right result.
Ferguson's reaction also confirms that despite the bravado emanating from Old Trafford, he knows Arsenal present a serious threat to United's supremacy this season. While the past seven days have brought the league leaders two points from a possible six - Arsène Wenger was hoping for four - the nature of the results, never in front against Liverpool and United yet showing the character to level late on, is indeed the form of potential champions. "This side has something you do not see at first look," Wenger, speaking of a resilience that is no longer disputed, said. Well, almost.