Sir Alex furious with ref after last-gasp Gallas strike helps Arsenal deny United

The Manchester United manager was also furious at security arrangements at the Emirates Stadium, insisting that he and his staff feared for their safety from Arsenal fans.

Ferguson thought his side had won a tense match with a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo eight minutes from time until Gallas struck.

The Arsenal captain had given United the lead in first-half added time with an own goal but Cesc Fabregas scored their first equaliser.

Ferguson's frustration then boiled over in an attack on Webb,whose appointment to the game he had welcomed.

'Howard Webb has a great chance to be the top referee but today was a big game for him and, at times, he favoured Arsenal,' said the United boss.'Their second goal came from him not giving a free-kick for a foul on Louis Saha on the far side. It should have been a foul for us.

'It is very difficult for the referee. On our bench, we were getting terrible abuse from people two or three feet away from us. There is a lack of security here. It is absolutely disgraceful the abuse you and your staff take. All sorts of things are been shouted and screamed at you and there is an absolute danger here.'

Ferguson was irked that United had not been able to hang on for a win that would have seen them replace Arsenal at the top of the table.

He said: 'I think we have thrown it away. At 2-1 you think you've won the game and for them to get a second goal when they did — for us to give it away in injury-time — it is very hard to take, I can tell you. It's a fact that they got out of jail.'

His Arsenal counterpart, Arsene Wenger, had good reason to thank a linesman he has twice berated in the past. Gallas's shot clearly crossed the line, as shown by television replays, but assistant referee Darren Cann did well to spot it from his position on the far side of the pitch.

'He did his job well and I have to congratulate him,' said the Arsenal manager.

It was not always so. Cann first incurred Wenger's wrath two years ago when he wrongly disallowed a goal by Robin van Persie as Arsenal lost 2-0 to Chelsea.

'A very bad decision. I associate the referee and linesmen in the same team — the Chelsea team,' said Wenger at the time, the FA later asking him to explain the comment while Cann was 'rested' for a game.

Then Wenger, with another comment that saw him taken to task, described Cann as 'a liar' for intervening in a row between Frank Lampard and Emmanuel Adebayor in the Carling Cup final, the Arsenal player sent off on the linesman's say-so.

Yesterday, Wenger agreed that his side had not been at their best.

'In the first half we had the handbrake on,' he said. 'We were tentative and cautious and we played at the wrong pace and allowed Manchester United to control the ball well.

'In the second we were a bit more free, although we didn't really find the creative side of our game. But character-wise we have shown plenty again. There is something special in this side.

'Manchester United look strong and they will be title contenders without a doubt.They always look as if they can take advantage of a mistake.'

Sir Alex was not so complimentary about Arsenal, however. 'We produced some good football for our goals but their goals were a bit scrappy,' he said.

'It's unlike Arsenal. They normally score goals from good passing movements. Today they were slashing the ball in the box and getting goals from it.'