Barclays Premier League
Stoke City 1 - 2 Man Utd
1st goal!
JB Hernandez
26:27th minute
Head (right high)
1st goal!
T Sanli
80:56th minute
Left foot (left high)
2nd goal!
JB Hernandez
85:28th minute
Right foot (centre low)
1st goal!
Barclays Premier League
Man Utd 2 - 2 West Brom
1st goal!
JB Hernandez
4:38th minute
Right foot (left low)
2nd goal!
LCAdC Nani
24:49th minute
Left foot (left low)
1st goal!
P Evra
49:29th minute
(O.G)
2nd goal!
S Tchoyi
54:06th minute
Right foot (centre low)
Barclays Premier League
Sunderland 0 - 0 Man Utd
United remain without an away win in the Premier League, but can take some solace from a share of the spoils after locking horns with a fired-up Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light.
Steve Bruce's Black Cats dominated the first period and ought to have been ahead by half-time, but a marked improvement in United's display after the interval yielded close calls for Nani and substitute Dimitar Berbatov, rendering a draw the fairest result.
The Reds have now drawn all four away games in this season's Premier League campaign and remain two points behind leaders Chelsea, who host Arsenal on Sunday.
As he sought to close the gap on the reigning champions, Sir Alex Ferguson shuffled his pack - particularly in attack. Michael Owen and Kiko Macheda started, while Berbatov dropped to the bench after a draining shift as a lone striker at Valencia. Ji-sung Park and Michael Carrick both missed the squad entirely as Paul Scholes returned ahead of schedule from injury. John O’Shea replaced Patrice Evra at left-back, with the Frenchman held in reserve on the bench.
The United manager could be forgiven wariness over his side’s freshness after the efforts expended in bringing three points home from Spain; the Reds’ record in post-Champions League games warranted serious consideration. Last season, such fixtures accounted for five of the Reds’ seven Premier League defeats. Four-fifths of that quintet came after European away trips.
Not that Steve Bruce’s side needed encouragement to lay on a warm welcome for one of the Premier League’s big-hitters. Manchester City and Arsenal had taken a solitary point between them on Wearside this term, and Sunderland had tasted just one Premier League defeat at the Stadium of Light in 2010. Promisingly, against United in May.
The early signs did little to suggest a repeat result. Sunderland bossed the first period in terms of both possession and chances, and should have been ahead by the break. That they weren’t owed much to United’s dogged defending, one superb save from Edwin van der Sar and the efforts of the Dutchman’s upright in repelling Bolo Zenden’s shot.
The first opening of the game took quarter of an hour to arrive. Lee Cattermole skipped away from a Scholes challenge, advanced on goal and slipped a perfect pass through a shoal of bodies for Steed Malbranque. The Frenchman’s first touch took him clean through on van der Sar and seemingly certain to score, but the United goalkeeper remained uncommitted and brilliantly turned away Malbranque’s shot with his knee.
That was the first time United’s defence had been breached under substantial pressure, as Sunderland hassled and harried the visitors, enjoying the bulk of possession and exploiting a lack of cohesion in United’s passing.
A second opportunity followed soon afterwards, by which point Nemanja Vidic had been booked for hauling down in-form Darren Bent. A deep Sunderland corner fell to Malbranque, whose shot was redirected by on-loan Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha. The ball cannoned to safety off Vidic, although it had appeared to be heading off-target.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s expression betrayed his distaste at the events unfolding, and the Reds’ situation almost worsened on 37 minutes when Zenden came closer than anybody to breaking the deadlock. The Dutchman had little to aim for when the ball broke to him, but his 20-yard shot arrowed through Ferdinand’s legs and slapped against the base of van der Sar’s right-hand post.
As the Stadium of Light buzzed with wonder at how United were still level, the visitors’ first chance of the match materialised. Anderson was brought down 20 yards from goal, and Nani curled the resulting free-kick just wide – although Black Cats goalkeeper Simon Mignolet watched on with a nonchalance which belied the near miss.
A solitary effort of note in the first period prompted a rethink from the Reds, and top scorer Berbatov was introduced at the expense of Owen at half-time. Within two minutes, the Bulgarian had the ball in the hosts’ net.
Nani’s run into the box culminated in the ball breaking to Scholes, whose uncharacteristically scuffed shot was heading wide until Berbatov clinically redirected it inside Mignolet’s post. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old, he had clearly been standing two yards offside and the goal was chalked off.
United’s start to the second period had displayed a promising vim and vigour absent throughout the first 45 minutes, and the game continued as a far more evenly-contested affair. Both sides defended defiantly, cancelling each other’s limited advances out, and the hour mark had comfortably passed before either side threatened the deadlock again.
Malbranque was again at the heart of the opportunity, chancing his arm from long range and watching on in dismay as his effort looped up and onto the roof of the net, via a sizeable deflection off Ferdinand’s shin.
That close-call heralded another upsurge in the hosts’ menace, and Bent should have capped their rediscovered dominance when Phil Bardsley found himself in space on the left of United’s area and pulled back, but the England striker skewed his left-footer wide under pressure from Vidic.
Nani stung Mignolet’s palms with a 30-yard drive in response, before Sir Alex introduced Chicharito for Macheda, and followed that by handing a Premier League debut to Bebe, who replaced Anderson.
Tails up, United could have forged ahead immediately. Chicharito superbly spun away from his marker and carried possession from the heart of midfield before feeding Berbatov. The Bulgarian’s drilled shot skidded just wide of Mignolet’s post from 20 yards, as United’s clearest opening of the match passed by.
Steve Bruce responded by sending on Ghanaian international Asamoah Gyan, and the Black Cats’ club record signing was soon involved; drawing a comfortable save from van der Sar with an athletic overhead kick.
Despite their best intentions, however, neither side could prise all three points from the game. Sunderland will rue missed opportunities before the interval, while United's relief will be tempered by the memories of Berbatov's close call in the late stages.
Steve Bruce's Black Cats dominated the first period and ought to have been ahead by half-time, but a marked improvement in United's display after the interval yielded close calls for Nani and substitute Dimitar Berbatov, rendering a draw the fairest result.
The Reds have now drawn all four away games in this season's Premier League campaign and remain two points behind leaders Chelsea, who host Arsenal on Sunday.
As he sought to close the gap on the reigning champions, Sir Alex Ferguson shuffled his pack - particularly in attack. Michael Owen and Kiko Macheda started, while Berbatov dropped to the bench after a draining shift as a lone striker at Valencia. Ji-sung Park and Michael Carrick both missed the squad entirely as Paul Scholes returned ahead of schedule from injury. John O’Shea replaced Patrice Evra at left-back, with the Frenchman held in reserve on the bench.
The United manager could be forgiven wariness over his side’s freshness after the efforts expended in bringing three points home from Spain; the Reds’ record in post-Champions League games warranted serious consideration. Last season, such fixtures accounted for five of the Reds’ seven Premier League defeats. Four-fifths of that quintet came after European away trips.
Not that Steve Bruce’s side needed encouragement to lay on a warm welcome for one of the Premier League’s big-hitters. Manchester City and Arsenal had taken a solitary point between them on Wearside this term, and Sunderland had tasted just one Premier League defeat at the Stadium of Light in 2010. Promisingly, against United in May.
The early signs did little to suggest a repeat result. Sunderland bossed the first period in terms of both possession and chances, and should have been ahead by the break. That they weren’t owed much to United’s dogged defending, one superb save from Edwin van der Sar and the efforts of the Dutchman’s upright in repelling Bolo Zenden’s shot.
The first opening of the game took quarter of an hour to arrive. Lee Cattermole skipped away from a Scholes challenge, advanced on goal and slipped a perfect pass through a shoal of bodies for Steed Malbranque. The Frenchman’s first touch took him clean through on van der Sar and seemingly certain to score, but the United goalkeeper remained uncommitted and brilliantly turned away Malbranque’s shot with his knee.
That was the first time United’s defence had been breached under substantial pressure, as Sunderland hassled and harried the visitors, enjoying the bulk of possession and exploiting a lack of cohesion in United’s passing.
A second opportunity followed soon afterwards, by which point Nemanja Vidic had been booked for hauling down in-form Darren Bent. A deep Sunderland corner fell to Malbranque, whose shot was redirected by on-loan Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha. The ball cannoned to safety off Vidic, although it had appeared to be heading off-target.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s expression betrayed his distaste at the events unfolding, and the Reds’ situation almost worsened on 37 minutes when Zenden came closer than anybody to breaking the deadlock. The Dutchman had little to aim for when the ball broke to him, but his 20-yard shot arrowed through Ferdinand’s legs and slapped against the base of van der Sar’s right-hand post.
As the Stadium of Light buzzed with wonder at how United were still level, the visitors’ first chance of the match materialised. Anderson was brought down 20 yards from goal, and Nani curled the resulting free-kick just wide – although Black Cats goalkeeper Simon Mignolet watched on with a nonchalance which belied the near miss.
A solitary effort of note in the first period prompted a rethink from the Reds, and top scorer Berbatov was introduced at the expense of Owen at half-time. Within two minutes, the Bulgarian had the ball in the hosts’ net.
Nani’s run into the box culminated in the ball breaking to Scholes, whose uncharacteristically scuffed shot was heading wide until Berbatov clinically redirected it inside Mignolet’s post. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old, he had clearly been standing two yards offside and the goal was chalked off.
United’s start to the second period had displayed a promising vim and vigour absent throughout the first 45 minutes, and the game continued as a far more evenly-contested affair. Both sides defended defiantly, cancelling each other’s limited advances out, and the hour mark had comfortably passed before either side threatened the deadlock again.
Malbranque was again at the heart of the opportunity, chancing his arm from long range and watching on in dismay as his effort looped up and onto the roof of the net, via a sizeable deflection off Ferdinand’s shin.
That close-call heralded another upsurge in the hosts’ menace, and Bent should have capped their rediscovered dominance when Phil Bardsley found himself in space on the left of United’s area and pulled back, but the England striker skewed his left-footer wide under pressure from Vidic.
Nani stung Mignolet’s palms with a 30-yard drive in response, before Sir Alex introduced Chicharito for Macheda, and followed that by handing a Premier League debut to Bebe, who replaced Anderson.
Tails up, United could have forged ahead immediately. Chicharito superbly spun away from his marker and carried possession from the heart of midfield before feeding Berbatov. The Bulgarian’s drilled shot skidded just wide of Mignolet’s post from 20 yards, as United’s clearest opening of the match passed by.
Steve Bruce responded by sending on Ghanaian international Asamoah Gyan, and the Black Cats’ club record signing was soon involved; drawing a comfortable save from van der Sar with an athletic overhead kick.
Despite their best intentions, however, neither side could prise all three points from the game. Sunderland will rue missed opportunities before the interval, while United's relief will be tempered by the memories of Berbatov's close call in the late stages.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)