Saturday, September 28, 2013
EPL 2013: Manchester United 1 West Brom 2: Starlet Berahino piles more misery on Moyes
Manchester United slumped to their third Barclays Premier League defeat of the season as West Brom recorded a first win at Old Trafford since 1978.
Goals from Morgan Amalfitano and Saido Berahino either side of the interval proved enough for the delirious Baggies despite Wayne Rooney netting for the fifth time in as many games.
Not even the second-half introductions of Robin van Persie and Marouane Fellaini could swing the contest back in United's favour as they lost 2-1.
Wonderkid: Saido Berahino celebrates scoring West Brom's second goal against Manchester United
Shocker: West Brom run off to celebrate with Berahino after his 67th -minute winner
Match facts
Subs not used Amos, Evra, Welbeck, Valencia
Booked Carrick, Jones, Buttner
Subs not used Daniels, Popov, Dorrans, Dawson
Booked Mulumbu
Referee Michael Oliver 7
Man of the match Stephane Sessegnon
Managers David Moyes 5, Steve Clarke 7
*Player ratings by JOHN EDWARDS at Old Trafford
The result, at the start of what was supposed to be an easy run of fixtures, is a shattering blow to new manager David Moyes, whose team have now slipped six points off the pace in the early stages of the title race.
More importantly, United have now lost half their league matches and find themselves firmly in mid-table, with the faith the club's supporters vowed to have in their new manager already starting to fray judging by the boos that accompanied the final whistle.
There could hardly have been a greater contrast between the drab fare served up in the first-half and the 10-goal thriller between the sides that served as a fitting epitaph to Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial career in May.
Whereas the spectacular show at The Hawthorns had supporters on the edge of their seats, this soporific show had them slumped.
United were on top, as expected.
But their efforts were sporadic.
Rooney, who retained the captain's armband, had one header saved by Boaz Myhill and sent another soaring over the bar.
Shinji Kagawa's scheming presented a chance for Alex Buttner, but his scuffed shot was blocked.
Can't believe it: Rooney looks on with shock as United drop out of the top ten in the Premier League
Toppled: Manchester United's players including goalkeeper David De Gea stand dejected
Shock: Morgan Amalfitano celebrates scoring West Brom's opener at Old Trafford
Stat attack
- Morgan Amalfitano has scored in two consecutive Premier League appearances for West Bromwich Albion.
- Wayne Rooney has now scored three direct free kicks this season; the last player to score more in a single season was Cristiano Ronaldo (four in 2008/09).
- Saido Berahino scored his first ever Premier League goal.
- The Baggies netted twice at Old Trafford for only the second time in the PL era (drew 2-2 in October 2010).
- Seven of West Brom’s last 11 PL goals have come against Manchester United.
- This is the first time 13/09/08 that Manchester United and Manchester City lost on the same day in the Premier League.
- West Brom won at Old Trafford in the league for the first time since December 1978.
- Manchester United three of their opening six league games for the first time since 1989/90.
- Man Utd have never won the title in a top-flight season where they've lost three or more of their opening six games.
- The last time to win the top-flight title after having lost three of their first six games were Portsmouth in 1949/50.
It did seem an offside flag had been raised against the Brazilian.
If so, it was a bad decision. Not that it mattered in the end as the midfielder's diving header crashed back off the bar before he hooked a volley over.
Yet, for all their dominance of possession, United still lived dangerously at the other end.
Substitute Berahino flicked a header just wide from Amalfitano's cross. He then fired an effort straight at David de Gea in the last dregs of the opening period when really he should have done much better.
Moyes cannot have been that impressed as when his side re-appeared after the interval, Kagawa had been replaced by 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj. The teenager had no time to make an impact before the visitors seized the initiative.
Large question marks hung over the United defence as West Brom celebrated their goal though. For, after nicking possession in front of the dug-outs on halfway, Amalfitano was allowed to stride directly towards goal, brushing off a couple of half-hearted attempts to stop him.
Faced with only De Gea to beat, the Frenchman showed admirable composure, lifting his shot over the goalkeeper and in. Moyes immediately called Van Persie off the bench. But before the Dutchman could be introduced, Rooney had levelled.
Off the band: Wayne Rooney rises above the West Brom defence to aim a header at goal
Tussle: United's Nani (left) attempts to hold off the challenge of West Brom defender Liam Ridgewell
In action: United playmaker Shinji Kagawa (left) tries to get past Gareth McAuley
Yet again it was a free-kick. This time from about 25 yards, which the in-form England forward curled expertly home. It was Rooney's fifth goal in as many games and with Van Persie ushered on a few minutes later, Old Trafford expected a routine end to proceedings. The game did not pan out that way though. Sensing their opponents are not the force of old, West Brom went hunting more.
And after a couple of close calls - including an Olsson header that hit the underside of the crossbar - they duly went ahead again as Amalfitano laid a superb pass into the path of Berahino, who found the bottom corner.
Strike a pose: Anderson twists his body to have a shot at goal
Forward men: Rooney celebrates his equaliser with Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Alex Buttner
As Moyes had already introduced Fellaini, there was no more he could do other than hope for a change in fortune. It did not arrive.Rather than one of those stirring comebacks this ground had seen so many of, West Brom actually held their own. Indeed, Stephane Sessegnon nearly made the damage even worse, only to slice his shot when glory beckoned.
Fellaini had a goal ruled out for offside before Rooney's late free-kick was punched clear by Myhill and Januzaj flashed an injury-time effort wide.
Warrior: Baggies defender Jonas Olsson (centre) kneels as he is treated for a head injury
Guess who? Marouane Fellaini can't watch from the substitutes bench at Old Trafford
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JACK WILSHERE EXCLUSIVE: I always push myself to get better...EPL 2013: Tottenham 1 Chelsea 1: Terry cancels out Sigurdsson opener before Torres sees red
John Terry's second-half header prevented Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas from claiming victory over Chelsea in a hot-tempered grudge match against former mentor Jose Mourinho.
The pre-match fireworks between the two managers had given an extra edge to what was already one of the most hotly-contested derbies in English football, and for the most part the game lived up to its billing.
Tottenham dominated the first half and took the lead through Gylfi Sigurdsson, but Terry - one of the personalities with whom Villas-Boas clashed at Chelsea - gatecrashed the Spurs boss' party to leave the score at 1-1.
Leveller: John Terry celebrates after heading home the equalising goal to earn Chelsea a share of the spoils
Match facts
Subs not used: Friedel, Chirches, Lamela, Sandro
Booked: Townsend, Eriksen, Vertonghen, Dawson, Dembele
Goal: Sigurdsson 20
Subs not used: Schwarzer, Cahill, Essien, Eto'o.
Booked: Torres, Ivanovic
Sent off: Torres
Goal: Terry 65
Ref: Mike Dean
*Player ratings by Matt Barlow at White Hart Lane
The Spaniard could have been given a straight red in the first half for scratching the defender's face.
Mourinho later claimed referee Mike Dean changed the course of the game with his decision.
'The referee made a mistake,' he said. 'A big mistake that made the big difference in the result. The referee tried to do his best and made a huge mistake.
'I think the player (Vertonghen) is guilty. If nobody touches me and I fall it is not your fault, it is my fault.
'English players don’t normally do that. He pretends that there was contact on him. It makes the second yellow card. From that time we were in big trouble. It leaves a bad taste because we should have won. We got a point but that doesn’t leave us where we want to be.'
His opposite number was less committed in his response.
Villas Boas said: 'It’s a big decision for the referee. I haven’t seen it, but the referee makes the decision because both players go for the ball and he decides that Fernando Torres went over the top.'
Head boy: Terry nodded in Juan Mata's free kick to cancel out Gylfi Sigurdsson's opener for Tottenham
Villas-Boas and Mourinho had been practically inseparable for seven years, but the Spurs boss made it clear in the run up to the derby that he and his compatriot are no longer friends.
The two shared the weakest of handshakes before the game, and during the contest, it looked as though the master would be beaten by his old apprentice.
As Villas-Boas takes his ride around the M25 to Gatwick airport to catch his flight to Porto on Saturday night, he will be kicking himself about the result.
His Tottenham team had the upper hand over Chelsea for the majority of the first half and they could have had three or four by the break.
The two shared the weakest of handshakes before the game, and during the contest, it looked as though the master would be beaten by his old apprentice.
As Villas-Boas takes his ride around the M25 to Gatwick airport to catch his flight to Porto on Saturday night, he will be kicking himself about the result.
His Tottenham team had the upper hand over Chelsea for the majority of the first half and they could have had three or four by the break.
Opener: Gylfi Sigurdsson slides home the first goal of the game as Tottenham take the lead over Chelsea
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But Terry's goal, which came from a Juan Mata free-kick, means he will have to wait until March before he gets another chance to defeat Mourinho again.
Despite the booming noise of the pumped-up crowd, the opening few minutes were a tight affair.
Christian Eriksen almost created an opening with a free-kick, but Petr Cech had nothing to do until he was picking the ball out of the net.
Eriksen started the move, playing a flat ball across the box to Roberto Soldado who nudged the ball in to Sigurdsson's path.
Despite the booming noise of the pumped-up crowd, the opening few minutes were a tight affair.
Christian Eriksen almost created an opening with a free-kick, but Petr Cech had nothing to do until he was picking the ball out of the net.
Eriksen started the move, playing a flat ball across the box to Roberto Soldado who nudged the ball in to Sigurdsson's path.
Main man: Sigurdsson peels away to celebrate with team-mates after opening the scoring at White Hart Lane
Sigurdsson, so often Spurs' unsung hero, still had lots to do. He was off balance after taking an extra stride to beat Terry's outstretched leg, but he somehow managed to roll the ball into the net to the goalkeeper's right.
Villas-Boas savoured the moment with a double-fist pump while his opposite number was sullen and motionless.
The home crowd took great pleasure in taunting Mourinho, singing: "You're not special anymore."
Mourinho's team certainly did not look anything special. Tottenham were in complete control and it seemed certain they would double their lead before the break.
The brilliant Andros Townsend found Soldado on the right. The Spaniard spied Paulinho at the back post, but luckily for Chelsea, Branislav Ivanovic came to the rescue.
Naughty: Fernando Torres and Jan Vertonghen clashed (above and below) before the Spaniard saw red
Chelsea started to improve slightly and Tottenham's nerves started jangling.
Eden Hazard robbed Kyle Walker on the edge of his own box, but Vertonghen got in the way to deflect his compatriot's shot wide.
Tempers frayed momentarily when Tottenham assistant Steffen Freund confronted fourth official Roger East after becoming annoyed about Mike Dean's officiating.
Townsend blotted his copy book by receiving a booking for diving while Eriksen entered the book for a petulant pull of Oscar's shirt.
Paulinho almost gave Spurs a second when he hit the woodwork just before half-time. That was Mourinho's cue to leave. He walked down the tunnel a minute before the half-time whistle. He had seen enough.
Brief: Tottenham manager Andre Villas Boas (right) and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho shake hands
Torres cracked a low ball across the box, but it was just a touch too heavy for Oscar.
Lloris pulled off a top save to deny Torres, but moments later the Spaniard let himself down by appearing to scratch Vertonghen's face.
Torres, annoyed at what he thought was a dive from the Belgian, grabbed hold of the defender's face and dug his nails in to his skin.
Dean opted to book the striker.
On the attack: Andros Townsend darts between Ashley Cole (left) and Oscar at White Hart Lane
Spurs then paid dearly for Vertonghen's lapse in concentration from the resulting free-kick.
Mata put a high swirling ball in to the box, Vertonghen lost Terry for a second and he headed beyond Lloris before sprinting over to the ecstatic visiting fans.
Mourinho joined in the celebrations from the bench, but they were slightly restrained.
Friends again? Mourinho and Villas-Boas embrace following the draw between the two London sides
The sending-off gave Spurs more momentum. Jermain Defoe and Sigurdsson almost snatched victory.
Villas-Boas and Mourinho shared a handshake at the end while Terry celebrated in front of his own fans.
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Gateway Chevrolet www.gatewaychevrolet.caYour Brampton Chevrolet, Buick, GMC car, truck, and SUV dealership.
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Markville Chevrolet www.markvillechevrolet.comVisit us for great deals on Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles.
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