MANCHESTER, England -- David Moyes has been waiting for a signature victory to kickstart his short, erratic tenure at Manchester United. Dillon Maples Jersey . Who better to get it against than the Premier League leaders? After falling short against title rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City so far this season, United finally delivered when it really mattered by beating Arsenal 1-0 on Sunday thanks to Robin van Persies 27th-minute goal against his former club. The reigning champions are back within sight of Arsenal in fifth place and on the march, unbeaten in nine games in all competitions. "I dont think it puts out a statement," said Moyes, who has struggled under the pressure of succeeding Alex Ferguson at United. "I think people have known for years how good Manchester United have been. "My job and the teams job is to try to show we can do that again. We know we are going to get a few bloody noses along the way." Since leaving north London for Manchester in August last year for 24 million pounds (then $38 million), Van Persie has scored in all three games against Arsenal. Still unable to forgive the Netherlands striker, Arsenals away contingent wasnt shy in expressing their feelings toward Van Persie early in the game. The chants were crude and personal. Van Persie responded the only way he could -- by scoring. Getting away from marker Olivier Giroud, he met Wayne Rooneys corner with a header that looped into the top corner. Van Persie scored for the fourth straight match in the league and for a seventh time this campaign, as he looks to become the Premier Leagues top scorer for a third season in a row. It was one of the few sights of goal in a cagey match in which Arsenal played well within itself, displaying an inferiority complex many thought had disappeared after its strong start to the season. This was only its first defeat since the opening-day loss to Aston Villa. "I felt we were a bit nervous at the start of the game and didnt play our game and against a team like United who was nervous and a bit insecure, we gave them a little bit of comfort," said Wenger, who was without Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky due to a virus that affected the squad during the days before the match. The Gunners were flat at the end of a week in which they beat Liverpool in the league and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. A win at Old Trafford would have put them 11 points clear of United. Now, they are just five points ahead of Moyes improving side. "We knew we had to win today at all costs," Rooney said. "That was the toughest weve been to break down and we defended really well. We knew we could not afford to lose today, we couldnt let Arsenal get 11 points away from us." With Rooney often to the fore, United hounded the visitors into sloppy errors early on and kept playmaker Mesut Ozil on the periphery. Arsenals only half-chance fell to Giroud, and he headed over from the edge of the area from Aaron Ramseys cross. The Londoners were given a lift at halftime, however, with United centre back Nemanja Vidic not coming out for the second half after being clattered in the head by the hip of his goalkeeper, David de Gea, in the final seconds of the first half. Vidic was taken to a hospital but Moyes said the Serbian defender was conscious, adding: "As far as we know, hes going to be OK." Phil Jones, who had been shielding the defence brilliantly in central midfield, dropped into the backline and Arsenals silky midfielders finally had some space to perform. United initially remained in the ascendancy, with Rooney dragging a left-foot shot just wide from the edge of the area on the hour mark. But Arsenal slowly began to take command, probing around Uniteds area. Two devilish crosses by Bacary Sagna were missed by Giroud then Nicklas Bendtner, Jones denied Giroud with a last-ditch tackle and the France striker slid a shot just wide of the post. However, De Gea was never seriously tested throughout. For the champions, it could be the victory that sparks their season. "Its another step in the right direction for us, but we have a lot of steps to take here," Moyes said. "Its going to take a while to get it the way I want it to be. But Im thrilled because the boys put in a great performance." Addison Russell Cubs Jersey . 8 Sergio Parisse for its penultimate Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Bill Buckner Cubs Jersey . Johns, N.L., to Thunder Bay, Ont., after a deal was announced to build a new $106-million "event centre" in the Lake Superior community.LOS ANGELES -- Hanley Ramirez will start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NL championship series despite a broken left rib. "Id do anything for this team," he said. Ramirez was set to bat third and play shortstop Monday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, and Andre Ethier was slated to hit fifth and play centre field. Ramirez, who sat out Game 2 in St. Louis, wore a lightweight flak jacket as he took swings during batting practice and fielded grounders before Game 3. The Cardinals entered with a 2-0 series lead. "Its just for protection. They told me that if I want to play, Ive got to wear it," Ramirez said. "They dont want anything worse to happen, so Im just going to wear it." The three-time All-Star said team medical director Stan Conte left it up to him whether to play. "Im not feeling 100 per cent, but I feel good enough to go out there tonight and get our first win," Ramirez said. "I took some painkiller to make it feel batter." Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said a CT scan revealed Ramirez has a hairline fracture of his ribcage. "Its not dangerous if he tries to play," Mattingly said. Joe Pepitone Cubs Jersey. "Its just a painful thing and it could be a week, it could be two weeks before this thing is gone." Mattingly said it was a busy 48 hours trying to do everything possible to get Ramirez on the field, including talking to the NFL about using the kind of padded protective gear worn by running backs. Ramirez said he couldnt sleep Sunday night. "I know its going to be a tough game," he said. "Im going to keep everybody relaxed, and keep Mattingly relaxed. He needs to laugh." Ramirez got hit by a pitch in Game 1, but stayed in for the entire 13 innings as the Dodgers lost 3-2. He missed a 1-0 loss in Game 2 on Saturday. Ramirez batted .500 with six RBIs in the NL division series against Atlanta and tied the clubs post-season record with six extra-base hits. Ethier, put in the lineup following a batting practice evaluation, has been bothered by shin splints and was limited to pinch-hitting duty in Game 2. Ethier has a .300 career batting average against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright. 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