United were 3–0 up on aggregate after just 11 minutes at the Emirates, meaning that Arsenal needed four goals to make the final. It was the Gunners who started better and dominated the early possession, but with United's first attack, Cristiano Ronaldo put in a deep cross. Defender Kieran Gibbs slipped at the vital moment and Park Ji-sung slotted the ball into the net after just eight minutes. Three minutes later, a 40-yard free kick from Ronaldo beat Manuel Almunia to give United a 2–0 lead on the night. Needing a four-goal swing, Arsenal dominated possession but were unable to break United down. Just after the hour mark, a breakaway from United saw Ronaldo score his second and United's third less than 15 seconds after Arsenal had taken a corner at the other end. With 15 minutes to go, Darren Fletcher was sent-off by referee Roberto Rosetti for bringing down Cesc Fàbregas in the penalty area, despite replays showing that Fletcher made contact with the ball first. This red card meant that he would miss the final if United advanced. The resulting penalty was slotted home by Robin van Persie, but Arsenal – needing four more goals to make the final – could not find momentum from the goal and the match ended 3–1, with a 4–1 aggregate win for United, who became the first team since Juventus in 1997 to reach the Champions League final the season after winning the tournament, and the first team to reach consecutive finals since Valencia in 2001.