London, Nov.9 : Arsenal's two-one win over arch rivals Manchester United has led team coach Arsene Wenger to claim that his critics have finally been silenced.

Two goals from Samir Nasri gave the Gunners a 2-0 lead before a late reply from Rafael Da Silva.

Earlier, Arsenal fans had hit out at Wenger during the lead up to the match after they lost to Stoke last week.

"I can take criticism. I am in a job where you have to take that. There is only one answer - with your performance on the pitch. It was vital to win. To keep in the race, you need to win big games like that, and it is vital for a young team," The Sun quoted Wenger, as saying.

Captain William Gallas believed the result could be significant in the title race.

The French defender said: "It was really important for us to win against Manchester United because we want to stay in the race - to do that we want to win every game. The last few games we have drawn and lost, so it was important to win at home."

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson said: "They attacked, we attacked - but they got the goal that mattered. The number of chances we had was incredible. I thought we could have had a penalty on half-time, for a clear handball by Gael Clichy.But when you need a little break, you don't always get it."

ANI