United Blasts Arsenal Early to Advance to Rome
The semi-final second leg was finely poised before kick-off at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night after United won the first leg 1-0 at Old Trafford last week.
But the defending European champions had all-but booked their place in the Rome showpiece, against either Chelsea or Barcelona, within 11 minutes of the second leg following early goals from Ji-Sung Park and Cristiano Ronaldo, who beat Manuel Almunia with a 40-yard free-kick.
The Gunners failed to test Edwin van der Sar and went 3-0 down when a swift counter-attack saw Ronaldo slot home his second goal on 61.
But they pulled one back to make it 3-1 on the night on 76 when referee Roberto Rosetti wrongly dismissed Fletcher for a professional foul on Cesc Fabregas in the 18-yard box - TV replays showed he won the ball first - and Robin van Persie slammed the spot-kick into the top right-hand corner.
United cannot appeal against the dismissal, meaning Fletcher will follow in the footsteps of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes in missing a Champions League final due to suspension.
