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Blackpool 2 United 3
United moved five points clear of the chasing pack in the Barclays Premier League title race, but this was a far from straightforward three points as the Reds had to come back from a two-goal deficit and a below-par performance for almost 70 minutes of this clash at Bloomfield Road.
Ian Holloway’s side were 2-0 up and the better side at half-time after headed goals from poorly defended corners from Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell. But with the home side’s tempo and energy expended, and with substitutes Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez providing pace and penetration, the final 20 minutes was all one-way traffic. Dimitar Berbatov got the first of two goals after 72 minutes, then Hernandez equalised before his Bulgarian strike-partner completed the dramatic turnaround with two minutes of normal time remaining – although there were ten minutes of added time to survive due to a serious head injury suffered by Rafael.
Sir Alex Ferguson described Blackpool as a “revelation” in the Premier League this season; that didn’t stop him selecting an attacking trident of Nani, Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney, suggesting a need to be positive from the off. With Paul Scholes recalled for his first game since the Champions League victory over Rangers in November and his penchant for a deep-lying, quarter-back role, there was licence for the front five to press forward. That meant Darron Gibson, in for Ryan Giggs, and Darren Fletcher, replacing Anderson, getting forward where possible. Rafael returned from a one-game ban for a red card at Tottenham Hotspur in place of John O’Shea.
More : Man Utd
United 5 Birmingham 0
‘We’re Man United, we do what we want’, United fans have taken to singing this season, and that was the team's mantra as the Reds, led by hat-trick hero Dimitar Berbatov, brilliantly and ruthlessly took Birmingham City apart with unopposed ease.
Berbatov sealed a hat-trick of hat-tricks in 2010/11 – the first Red to achieve that since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03 – while Ryan Giggs and Nani completed a comprehensive 5-0 win. The gap should have been much wider in a display on a par with an equally chilly day in November when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side brutally beatn Blackburn Rovers 7-1.
Birmingham, already missing influential defender Scott Dann, perhaps had one eye on their midweek Carling Cup semi-final second-leg tie with West Ham, as Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson and Cameron Jerome were all among their substitutes. For United, Rafael’s suspension meant John O’Shea got his first appearance since the 4-0 cup loss at West Ham in November. Rio Ferdinand was also missing with a groin injury, but Chris Smalling confidently stepped in to partner Nemanja Vidic.
Otherwise, it was the team that claimed a 0-0 draw last week at Tottenham Hotspur. And while those battling qualities might have been expected of Sir Alex’s men, it was goals the Reds boss was after. This fixture hasn’t had a habit of producing them of late; in fact, neither team had scored more than once in the previous five meetings.Source : Man Utd
Tottenham 0 United 0
United returned to the Barclays Premier League summit by virtue of a hard-earned point at White Hart Lane.
In a tense, often attritional game between two sides brimming with attacking talent and intent, mutual respect won out as both sides harried and hassled each other into submission - though United had to play out the final 16 minutes with 10 men, after the dismissal of Rafael for two bookings.
Few clear-cut opportunities arose for either side. Wayne Rooney forced three smart saves from Heurelho Gomes, but Tottenham enjoyed the lion's share of the play and spurned presentable first-half chances through Peter Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart.
Sir Alex Ferguson was able to call upon all his experienced players who had been rated as doubts to make the match. Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney all started, while Paul Scholes returned to the bench.Keen for his side to fight fire with fire at the home of one of the most attacking teams in the Premier League, the manager lined United up in a 4-4-2 formation, pairing Rooney with Dimitar Berbatov. Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, fielded Crouch as his attack's focal point to compliment the roaming menace of van der Vaart.
United's last visit to White Hart Lane began with an early concession; falling behind to Jermain Defoe's overhead kick in under a minute. This time, less than 10 seconds had passed when Gareth Bale's cross was plucked from the air by van der Sar, with van der Vaart lurking.
Source : Man Utd
United 1 Liverpool 0
United are through to the FA Cup fourth round as a Ryan Giggs penalty after just two minutes ensured victory in an action-packed, end-to-end encounter with ten-man Liverpool.
Giggs’ spot-kick quelled Liverpool’s early optimism, while their own captain Steven Gerrard all but extinguished it with a reckless two-footed challenge on Michael Carrick that rightly earned him a red card after 32 minutes.
Liverpool – remarkably given their form and the turmoil on and off the pitch that has engulfed their season – arrived at Old Trafford on a wave of optimism. Roy Hodgson’s sacking and Kenny Dalglish's subsequent return to the club the day previously, ensured the 9,000 visiting fans had plenty to sing about before the match. But they would soon be silenced.
United, on the other hand, have started 2011 on a high, top of the league and hopeful of what the year might bring – not least the prospect of a 19th league title. But while Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to avoid the shock of last season’s FA Cup third round exit at the hands of local rivals Leeds, he had to contend with a cluster of first-choice absentees. Edwin van der Sar was still missing after suffering with a virus, while Wayne Rooney’s ankle problem meant he was not risked either. Worse still, Nemanja Vidic was a late drop-out – United’s influential skipper replaced by Jonny Evans, who would stand up to the demands of this fixture admirably.
Source : Man Utd
West Brom 1 United 2
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez came off the bench to clinch United's second league away win of the season and give the Reds the happiest of starts to the New Year.
The Mexican's 75th-minute header, added to a third-minute goal from Wayne Rooney, ensured all three points for the league leaders who survived a major scare when Peter Odemwingie missed a penalty for West Brom just after the hour mark when the score was 1-1. The Baggies had earlier cancelled out Rooney's opener with a stunning long-range strike from midfielder James Morrison.
The only worry for United as the game drew to a close was an apparent injury to Rooney but with Sir Alex having used all three subs, the striker played on to the final whistle. Wayne limped during the final moments but there was nothing wrong with his movement at the opposite end of the match, when he made the breakthrough with the first Barclays Premier League goal of 2011.
It was also Rooney's first goal from open play this season - his last was away to Bayern Munich in March. Two Frenchmen combined to create it for the England striker - Gabriel Obertan, making his first league start away from Old Trafford, drew the attention of two West Brom defenders with some trickery on the left flank and then rolled the ball back for Patrice Evra to whip in a first-time cross.Source : Man Utd
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