Man Utd Vs Chelsea

Match Preview

Louis van Gaal has urged Manchester United to "dare to
play football" as they look to end a run of four straight
defeats when they host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
United suffered to a 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat
at Stoke City on Boxing Day, their fourth in a row in all
competitions.
The Dutchman even suggested after the match that he
could consider stepping down should United lose at Old
Trafford on Monday, although he remains in charge.
With just two days to recover both physically and
mentally after the Stoke loss, Van Gaal has called on his
players to be brave against the BPL champions, who are
unbeaten in five against United.
"You can say we can quickly get over this defeat by
playing against Chelsea but in the time in between, you
have to recover because the players have given
everything," he told MUTV.
"Then you have to manage that you are very confident to
start the Chelsea game, and that you dare to play football
– our football! It is very difficult to do that in just two
days but we shall try."
Chelsea parted company with Jose Mourinho earlier this
month but were forced to settle for a point against
Watford in Guus Hiddink's first match back in interim
charge, as Oscar missed a penalty in the 2-2 draw at
Stamford Bridge.
Hiddink has a strong record against Van Gaal, having
beaten his AZ Alkmaar side three times with PSV
Eindhoven in the 2005/06 season, and Willian says
Chelsea's top-four hopes will remain alive if they can
take maximum points from Old Trafford.
"I think we deserved to win. We played well second half.
We kept fighting and then we scored," he told
www.chelseafc.com after the Watford match.
"Now we have to rest and be ready for Monday. This
situation is difficult for us but I think we can go and win
game by game and finish the league in the top four."
Chelsea's hopes of winning on the road for just the
second time in the league this season were dealt a blow
when Diego Costa picked up a fifth booking of the
campaign against Watford, ruling him out of the United
match.
Radamel Falcao could lead Chelsea's attack against the
side he struggled with during last season's loan spell
from Monaco, having shaken off a muscle problem. Eden
Hazard is still battling for full fitness, though.
United captain Wayne Rooney may be restored to the
line-up after being benched against Stoke, while Matteo
Darmian (hamstring) could be fit to return and Bastian
Schweinsteiger is back from suspension.
Jesse Lingard (hamstring), Marcos Rojo (shoulder),
Antonio Valencia (ankle) and Luke Shaw (leg) are out.

Manchester United (from): De Gea, Romero, Johnstone,
Valdes, Darmian, Jones, McNair, Smalling, Varela, Blind,
Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Pereira, Schneiderlin,
Schweinsteiger, Young, Depay, Martial, Rooney.

Chelsea (from): Begovic, Blackman, Courtois, Azpilicueta,
Cahill, Djilobodji, Ivanovic, Rahman, Terry, Zouma,
Fabregas, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Matic, Mikel, Oscar,
Ramires, Traore, Willian, Kenedy, Pedro, Falcao, Remy.

Read More

Stoke City Vs Man Utd

MATCH REPORT: STOKE 2 UNITED 0

26 December 2015 | Britannia Stadium | Attendance: 27,426
| Scorers: Bojan 19', Arnautovic 26'

Goals from Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic inflicted
a Boxing Day defeat on Manchester United, meaning the
Reds are now without a win in seven matches across all
competitions.
Louis van Gaal described the fixture at the Britannia
Stadium as a must-win ahead of kick-off but the Reds
were disappointingly outplayed by a flourishing Potters
team managed by Mark Hughes, the former United
striker whose second season at the Britannia Stadium is
going from strength-to-strength.
Wayne Rooney spoke admirably about galvanising the
squad on Friday and admitted this match could become
a defining moment in the season, yet the captain
watched the first half from the substitute’s bench after
Louis van Gaal started Ander Herrera ahead of the
captain for “tactical reasons”. The Spaniard registered
the first shot at goal, too, with a 20-yard drive that was
saved by Jack Butland.
In typically windy conditions, with strong gales blowing
through the exposed corners of the stadium, the
opening exchanges were scrappy and the weather
played a small part in Stoke taking the lead on 19
minutes. Memphis, faced by a bouncing ball, tried to
head back to David De Gea but failed to must enough
power, allowing Glen Johnson to intercept and set up
Bojan for a simple finish from inside the box.
United fell further behind seven minutes later, but the
Reds could have done little to prevent it as Bojan’s free-
kick cannoned off the wall and bounced into the path of
Marko Arnautovic, who hit a rocket-fuelled shot that
soared past De Gea from the edge of the area. The
Austrian was especially dangerous throughout the first
half and could have scored again when shooting wide
on 35 minutes, which was the last opportunity of the
half despite some late pressure from those in black
shirts.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: Stoke 46% United 54%
Shots at goal: Stoke 8 United 6
Shots on target: Stoke 2 United 3
Corners: Stoke 1 United 7
Van Gaal introduced Rooney for Memphis at half-time
and the skipper was visibly cajoling his team-mates at
the start of the second period, urging them to fight back
in difficult circumstances. The 30-year-old played with
fire in his belly and flew into several challenges -
catching the attention of the referee - yet scoring
chances were at a premium as the game uneventfully
rolled past the hour-mark.
The first real opportunity of the half was created by
Rooney as he dribbled away from two markers inside
the area to find Fellaini but the Belgian’s close-range
shot was well-saved by Butland, the in-form England
international who has impressed so much this
campaign.
Erik Pieters, who signed a new long-term contract on
Boxing Day morning, almost floated a 40-yard free-kick
into the top corner on 76 minutes as the hosts searched
for a third goal, with Bojan forcing a save from De Gea
moments later. Former United striker Mame Biram Diouf
also caused problems with his movement and fellow
substitute Charlie Adam went close with another
bending free-kick.
Van Gaal made his second change on 83 minutes by
replacing Herrera with Andreas Pereira and the Brazilian
was booked just seconds after coming on, before
Anthony Martial and Juan Mata both saw shots saved
by Butland as the Reds pushed forward in search of a
consolation strike that never came. It's United’s fourth
consecutive defeat this month and the next match,
against Chelsea, is of great importance.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: Stoke 42% United 58%
Shots at goal : Stoke 13 United 11
Shots on target: Stoke 3 United 6
Corners: Stoke 1 United 12
THE TEAMS
Stoke: Butland, Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid,
Pieters, Whelan (van Ginkel 46), Cameron (Adam 75),
Shaqiri (Diouf 65), Afellay, Arnautovic, Bojan.
Subs not used: Haugaard, Joselu, Wilson, Walters.
Booked: Bojan
United: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Jones, Blind, Carrick,
Herrera (Pereira 82), Mata, Fellaini, Memphis (Rooney
46), Martial.
Subs not used: Romero, Borthwick-Jackson, McNair,
Varela, Schneiderlin.
Booked: Young, Pereira

Read More

Man United Vs Norwich City

FT MAN UTD 1- 2 NORWICH CITY

Match Report

Louis van Gaal saw his Manchester United suffer a 2-1

home defeat by Norwich City to go a fourth Barclays

Premier League match in a row without a win.

Wayne Rooney, making his 500th appearance for the

club, returned from injury and helped United make a

promising start at Old Trafford, but they were stunned by

Cameron Jerome's goal shortly before the break, as

Norwich capitalised on their first chance of the half.

Alex Neil's side shocked the hosts again early in the

second half as Alex Tettey prodded in a second, with

United failing to make their control of possession count

against a disciplined visiting defence.

Anthony Martial, fresh from claiming the Golden Boy

prize for 2015, gave United a lifeline with a calm finish

from close range in the 67th minute as United poured

forward in the Manchester rain.

Juan Mata came close with a free-kick, but Norwich held

on for only their second win in 20 away games in the top

flight.

United, who were beaten by another promoted side, AFC

Bournemouth, last time out, started on the front foot, with

Memphis Depay curling one effort narrowly over before

Rooney dragged a shot wide after a good Mata run.

Memphis just failed to connect properly with a Rooney

cross as the home side continued to dominate, but

Norwich kept them largely at arm's length and began to

grow into the match as the half wore on.

The visitors snatched the lead just seven minutes before

the interval. After Tettey's good break, Nathan Redmond

turned inside Ashley Young before teeing up Jerome, who

sidefooted past David de Gea from close range despite

the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball.

The Stretford End gave a rousing cheer in an effort to

encourage United, but Norwich sent the away fans into

raptures after another clinical counter-attack 10 minutes

after the break.

Jerome burst clear of Phil Jones after Rooney and

Michael Carrick had lost possession near halfway and

Tettey latched on to his pass before toe-poking the ball

past De Gea and into the bottom corner.

United had peppered the Norwich penalty area with

unsuccessful crosses, but one proved telling midway

through the second half, as Martial pounced on Rooney's

flicked header from a Mata delivery before firing high

past Declan Rudd from 12 yards out.

Mata's free-kick brought a good save out of Rudd, while

Chris Smalling,  playing as a makeshift striker in

stoppage-time, headed wide after running clear through

on goal, but Norwich held on for a vital three points in

their bid for survival, while extending United's winless run

in all competitions to six matches.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal: “I can say a

lot of things but every word is too much I think. You can

see what confidence is doing to the players. Now it’s

very important that everybody sticks together, but that

was not good enough today. We have to win against

Norwich and we know that.

"We've lost three matches in a row so it’s not happening

so much for Manchester United. We can’t accept that and

that’s why I have to repeat, we have to stick together and

believe in ourselves. I’ve encountered these

circumstances also with other teams and other staff. The

main thing is that you have to be professional and do

the things that you have to do and work very hard

to come out of this bad period."

Norwich City manager Alex Neil: “It’s a really important

win. We’ve been in most of the games against the bigger

sides, our problem has been that we’ve been the makers

of our own downfall if you like, but today we eradicated

those mistakes. The boys were fantastic and deserved to

win the game.

“We wanted to attack this league and sometimes you

take a bit of a hiding on the back of that, but since we

lost to Newcastle we’ve been a lot more resilient and

harder to break down. Hopefully we’ve kick-started

something with this win. We deserved this victory. We’ve

got important games coming up, we’ve not got as many

points on the board as we’d have liked but this is a

welcome three points and hopefully we can add to that

tally over the Christmas period."

Read More

Bournemouth Vs Man Utd

Report: Bournemouth 2 United 1

12 December 2015 | Vitality Stadium | Attendance: 11,334. Scorers: Stanislas 2, King 54 | Fellaini 24
Manchester United's seven-match unbeaten run in the Barclays Premier League came to an end on Saturday with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, where Jesse Lingard was also added to a worryingly long list of injured players.
Goals from Junior Stanislas and Joshua King outweighed Marouane Fellaini's strike to secure victory for the Cherries, who are flying high following last weekend’s victory at Chelsea. The Reds, meanwhile, will drop out of the Barclays Premier League top four if Tottenham beat Newcastle on Sunday.
United – without the suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger and seven injured players before kick-off - made a slow and disappointing start by conceding in just the second minute. Junior Stanislas unleashed a corner from the right wing that caught the wind and sailed over David De Gea into the top corner at the back post, much to the delight of a rowdy home crowd at the Vitality Stadium.
The Reds responded positively to falling behind and almost restored parity a few moments later as Artur Boruc made a terrific double save to deny Marouane Fellaini and the recalled Paddy McNair. Anthony Martial then spurned another opportunity when sent through on goal by a wayward Bournemouth pass, as the French striker could only drag the ball wide of Boruc's right-hand post.
After De Gea did terrifically well to claw possession away from Stanislas when the forward was through on goal, United deservedly drew level through Fellaini as the Belgian pounced on a loose ball to bound past Boruc and finish from close range after the keeper denied Memphis. The ecstasy of that goal was quickly tempered, however, when an injury to Jesse Lingard forced him off for Andreas Pereira on 31 minutes.
Neither side truly threatened in the final exchanges of the half with the only real moment of note being a yellow card for Pereira, who flew into a rash challenge with Stanislas. Had the young Brazilian caught the goalscorer, he may have received a sterner punishment from the referee Anthony Taylor.
FIRST HALF STATISTICS
Possession: Bournemouth 41% United 59%
Shots at goal: Bournemouth 6 United 6
Shots on target: Bournemough 3 United 3
Corners: Bournemouth 3 United 3
United’s travelling fans on the South Coast may have experienced a sense of déjà vu at the start of the second half, as the Reds started slowly again and conceded another early goal from a set-piece. King, the former Academy graduate who made two substitute appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson, did the damage, this time by escaping Daley Blind inside the area, to hit a calm finish past De Gea.
Fellaini saw a shot saved by Boruc moments after and he was frustrated again when a second effort from the resulting corner was blocked by a defender. King suffered an injury and was replaced on 64 minutes by Glenn Murray, the man who scored a famous winner at Chelsea just last weekend.
Bournemouth were in the ascendancy for much of the second half and the Cherries should have extended their lead on 71 minutes when Murray ran onto Dan Gosling’s incisive pass to round McNair and blast a shot over the bar from close range. Seconds later, the substitute wasted another glorious opportunity to score with a left-footed strike that flew well off target from the six-yard line.
Martial flashed a left-footed shot off target as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, but United never really threatened to level as Eddie Howe's held on to secure a famous win that also leaves the Reds with a win in five matches across all competitions. Next weekend's clash with Norwich City is now of great importance.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: Bournemouth 43% Unitd 57%
Shots at goal: Bournemouth 11 United 11
Shots on target: Bournemouth 5 United 5
Corners: Bournemouth 5 United 7
Bournemouth: Boruc, Smith, Cook, Francis, Daniels, Ritchie, Surman, Arter (O'Kane 86'), Gosling, Stanislas, King (Murray 65').
Subs not used: Federici, Distin, Pugh, Rantie, Kermorgant.
Booked: Arter, Boruc

United: De Gea, Varela, McNair (Jones 91), Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Fellaini (Powell 74'), Lingard (Pereira 31'), Mata, Memphis, Martial.
Subs not used: Romero, Tuanzebe, Young, Schneiderlin.
Booked: Pereira

Read More

Leicester City vs Man Utd

Leicester City 1- 1 Man Utd


Jamie Vardy wrote his name into Premier League
history by scoring for the 11th successive game - but
both Leicester City and Manchester United missed the
chance to go top of the table with this draw at King
Power Stadium.
Vardy, wearing golden boots, went into this game
hoping to eclipse former United striker Ruud van
Nistelrooy's record, set across two seasons in 2003.
And he savoured his moment in the 24th minute,
running on to Christian Fuchs' pass to send a low,
powerful finish past United keeper David de Gea.
Bastian Schweinsteiger headed United's equaliser right
on half-time and despite plenty of energy from both
sides after the break, the stalemate leaves Manchester
City at the Premier League summit.
Relive Leicester's draw with Manchester United
Vardy's golden run the perfect example
Man of the day - and of the season so far - irrespective
of the result was Vardy as he scored the goal that
wrote his name in the Premier League record books.
Leicester City's 28-year-old striker has been a man on
a mission since the start of the season and if the
weight of expectation he carried into this game was
any sort of burden, he carried it lightly.
There was not a trace of nerves as he darted between
two United defenders and on to Fuchs' pass to race
clear and beat goalkeeper David de Gea with a precise
finish.
As the King Power Stadium rocked to a crescendo of
noise and Vardy took the acclaim, it was time to reflect
on the sort of finish that has become his trademark in
a golden season for the striker who has made his way
from Stocksbridge Park Steel in the non-league to
England recognition and history maker.
There were just two passes
in the counter attack that
led to Vardy's record-
breaking goal
Vardy took Fuchs' pass in his stride and fired an
unerring low finish past De Gea - and the tributes came
instantly from the football world.
What a story - and what an example to any youngsters
or non-league players fighting their way up the ladder.
And the run may not be over yet.
Rooney's struggles continue
England captain Rooney suffered another game of toil
and struggle before he was substituted by Louis van
Gaal after 67 minutes.
Rooney was withdrawn in
the second half, just the
second time Van Gaal has
replaced him this season
Rooney, 30, has had his worth continually questioned
this season - both for club and country - and he did
nothing here to dismiss the claims that he has lost
many of his former formidable powers.
He looked off the pace as United struggled to get any
rhythm, although he was not alone there, and took a
couple of hefty bangs before he was replaced by
Memphis Depay.
Rooney was not lacking effort, it was the inspiration
and spark that was missing and he did not look like
rediscovering it.
Can Leicester keep mixing it at the top?
If Vardy is the man of the Premier League season,
then Leicester City have been the team of the season -
but can they keep it going?
It hardly takes huge expertise or insight to work out
that so much depends on the form and fitness of
Vardy - his pace, work-rate and goals give Claudio
Ranieri's side an extra dimension.
Leicester manager Claudio
Ranieri insists his side's
target remains to reach the
40-point mark
Players of Vardy's pace make even the best defences
take a step back, instantly allowing others to profit
from the space created by his threat.
Leicester have plenty of other things going for them
though - especially the raw talent, pace and
unpredictability of the outstanding Riyad Mahrez.
He has rivalled Vardy for the headlines this season and
is a potent threat, currently fuelled by a combination of
neat adrenalin and confidence.
Ranieri has ditched his "Tinkerman" style in favour of
stability and here at the King Power Stadium you get
football in the raw, with the Foxes backed by a noisy,
fanatical support only too happy to ride the wave that
has been this Premier League season.
Put that together and - while it is a stretch to suggest
they will be serious title challengers - this season still
holds huge potential for Leicester City.
'You have to win these games'
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "I'm very, very
happy. We wanted to win today, but also we wanted to
help Jamie achieve the record. Well done to my players
for helping Jamie Vardy to score.
"The whole team are in very good physical condition
and they have a good mentality. They want to do their
best until the end, and if the opponent is better than us
on the day then well done to the opponent.
"Our first priority remains 40 points - that is our goal, to
keep us in the Premier League. As soon as we get
there we can look to take another step."
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal: "I am very
disappointed. It was a feeling that we could have won
this game and we didn't. We gave the goal away and
the other chances we had we gave away as well.
"We could have lost as well in spite of our dominance
and I think we you want to be the champion at the end
of the season, and the players, managers and
supporters all want that, you have to win these kind of
games.
"We created not so many chances but that was also
because there were many chances in a very compact
pitch."
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Vardy continued his
remarkable goal-scoring
run as he wrote himself
into the history books
The stats you need to know
Vardy's 14 goals make him the highest scoring
Leicester player in a single Premier League
season, one above Tony Cottee who scored 13 in
1999-2000.
Manchester United (and David de Gea) conceded
from open play in the Premier League for the
first time in 545 minutes.
Bastian Schweinsteiger netted his first goal since
May for Bayern Munich against Mainz -
Leicester's Shinji Okazaki was playing for Mainz
that day.
Christian Fuchs registered his first assist in the
Premier League for Jamie Vardy's goal,
becoming the seventh Austrian to provide an
assist for a Premier League goal.
Two of Daley Blind's three Premier League
assists have come against Leicester.
What's next for both sides?
Manchester United play at home to West Ham in the
Premier League on Saturday, before travelling to
Wolfsburg for a game they must win if they are to be
certain of reaching the Champions League knockout
stages.
Leicester play away to Swansea in the Premier League
next Saturday, before playing Chelsea in a Monday
night kick-off, nine days later.

Read More

Man Utd vs PSV

MANCHESTER UNITED 0 PSV
EINDHOVEN 0
- Rooney seeks ruthless streak after stalemate
- Van Gaal disappointed by missed opportunity
- How things stand in Champions League Group B
25 November 2015 | Old Trafford | Attendance:
75,321

Manchester United's bid to reach the Champions
League knockout stages will go to the final
matchday after PSV Eindhoven battled their way to
a goalless draw at Old Trafford.
Louis van Gaal’s men dominated the proceedings
but found the Dutch visitors in resolute form, with
goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet denying the likes of
Anthony Martial on several occasions.
The result leaves United in second place in Group
B, one point behind leaders Wolfsburg, who beat
CSKA Moscow earlier in the evening, and a point
ahead of PSV. The Reds travel to Germany in two
weeks’ time, with the top three teams still in
contention to qualify.
Van Gaal made four changes to the side that beat
Watford, with Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo
plus fit-again Martial and Wayne Rooney coming in
for Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Ander Herrera and
Juan Mata.
United saw nearly all of the ball early in the game
but were unable to create any clear-cut openings.
Off the pitch, the seventh minute heralded a
touching visual tribute to a club icon as fans
around the ground switched on their smartphone
torches to mark the 10th anniversary of George
Best’s passing.
The Reds’ first real opening came in the 20th
minute, when Darmian was released down the right
and whipped over a dangerous cross that was
fingertipped away by Zoet, with Rooney poised to
pounce. The United captain then found a well-
placed Jesse Lingard inside the box but the winger
miscontrolled the ball and the opportunity slipped
by.
Morgan Schneiderlin came within inches of opening
the scoring on the half-hour mark as he prodded
Daley Blind’s corner goalwards but Zoet dropped
onto the ball on his line. David De Gea was called
into action for the first time soon after, making a
flying save to clutch Jorrit Hendrix’s attempted
curler after a swift PSV counter-attack.
Ten minutes before the break, Lingard’s shot was
deflected into Martial’s path but the Frenchman’s
effort inside the box was kicked away by Zoet.
Rooney then pounced on Zoet’s slip on the edge of
his box but the PSV stopper forced United’s
skipper wide and recovered his ground to avert the
danger. Just before the interval, Memphis fed
Martial on the left of the box but Zoet again denied
the striker.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession : United 66% PSV 34%
Shots at goal : United 9 PSV 3
Shots on target: United 6 PSV 2
Corners: United 6 PSV 2
The Reds started the second half on the front foot
and Schneiderlin powered a header just over from
Blind’s corner, before Lingard glanced Martial’s
cross narrowly wide. At the other end, Luuk de
Jong beat Blind on the right-hand side of the box
but flashed his shot over.
Van Gaal made a double substitution on the hour
mark, bringing on Marouane Fellaini and Young for
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Memphis, but the
visitors continued to frustrate United, sitting deep
and occasionally looking to hit the hosts on the
break, with Chris Smalling crucially blocking
Santiago Arias’ cross at the end of one such foray
forward.
Lingard spurned a great chance to break the
deadlock with just under 20 minutes remaining,
firing a first-time shot over from inside the box
after good work on the right by Young. And despite
the late introduction of Mata, that proved to be the
Reds’ best opportunity in the closing exchanges,
meaning the club's Champions League fate will be
decided in Germany in a fortnight.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession : United 61% PSV 39%
Shots at goal : United 13 PSV 8
Shots on target: United 7 PSV 4
Corners: United 9 PSV 3
THE TEAMS
United: De Gea; Darmian (Mata 85), Smalling,
Blind, Rojo; Schweinsteiger (Fellaini 58),
Schneiderlin; Lingard, Rooney, Memphis (Young 58);
Martial.
Subs not used: Romero, McNair, Pereira, Wilson.
Booked: Lingard.
PSV Eindhoven: Zoet; Arias, Bruma, Moreno,
Brenet; Propper, Hendrix (Isimat 60), Guardado;
Narsingh (Pereiro 18), De Jong, Locadia.
Subs not used: Pasveer, Schaars, Maher, Poulsen,
Bergwijn.
Booked: De Jong, Arias.
MATCH REACTION
Van Gaal : "We could have qualified and it's a big
disappointment for the players. We have to win in
Wolfsburg now and that's a difficult game, but
everything is possible."
Rooney: "I think we need to score more goals as a
team. It's a learning curve for us but we can't stay
on a learning curve; we have to start converting
these games into victories."

Read More

Watford Vs Man Utd

WATFORD 1 MANCHESTER UNITED
2
-Van Gaal hails never-say-die spirit
- Goal meant a lot to Bastian
- De Gea earns MOTM award
- Blog - relive our live match coverage
Scorers: Deeney (pen) 87; Memphis 11, Deeney o.g
90 | 21 November 2015 | Vicarage Road |
Attendance: 20,702
Despite a raft of injuries, picked up before and
during the visit to Watford, Manchester United
earned a dramatic 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road
with Memphis Depay scoring on his return to the
side and Bastian Schweinsteiger playing his part in
an injury-time winner.
In a game dominated by Louis van Gaal’s men in
the first half and controlled by the Hornets in the
second, Memphis's fine first-half goal and an own
goal from Troy Deeney, who had equalised for
Watford, secured a vital win and, at least
temporarily, took United top of the table. David De
Gea’s part in the win cannot be overlooked either
after a string of top saves from the Spanish
stopper.
Van Gaal made four changes to the side that
started the Reds' last match against West Brom,
with Phil Jones, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander
Herrera and Memphis all coming in. They replaced
the injured pairing of Michael Carrick and Anthony
Martial, Wayne Rooney, who is ill, and Marcos Rojo,
who was named on the bench after a long journey
back from South America for international duty.
After recently including youngsters Axel Tuanzebe
and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson in his matchday
squad, van Gaal named two more prospects among
the substitutes - striker Marcus Rashford and
midfielder Sean Goss.
Another homegrown talent who has impressed so
much in recent weeks, Jesse Lingard, got United
on the attack from the off, and was inches away
from connecting with Juan Mata’s right-wing cross
with just a minute on the clock. And it wasn’t long
before the Reds took the lead.
The danger came down the right once more as
former Watford man Ashley Young found Ander
Herrera and his first-time cross was brilliantly
volleyed into the top corner by Memphis.
United were well in control of proceedings but
breathed a sigh of relief on 21 minutes when Young
had the ball taken off his toes by Etienne Capoue
who sprinted forward. Watford found themselves
with two against one as Capoue found Odion
Ighalo, but the striker shot wide.
The Reds lost Herrera to what looked like a
hamstring injury soon after, with Rojo coming on to
join Chris Smalling, captain for the day with Rooney
and Carrick both out, and Phil Jones in a makeshift
back three. Not long after coming on, Rojo sent a
ball into the box which bounced around before
eventually dropping to Schneiderlin who smashed a
volley just over the bar.
The French midfielder went close again just after
the half-hour mark when Bastian Schweinsteiger
flicked a corner across the box only for Troy
Deeney to acrobatically flick it away to prevent
Schneiderlin tapping home at the back post.
Memphis almost doubled his and United’s tally for
the day six minutes before the break when he took
aim from 25 yards, but Heurelho Gomes got down
well to push it clear.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession : Watford 40% United 60%
Shots at goal : Watford 2 United 4
Shots on target: Watford 0 United 2
Corners: Watford 1 United 4
Gomes was called into action straight after the
restart when Capoue presented Memphis with
possession in midfield. The goalscorer powered
forward and slipped a reverse pass in to Lingard
whose shot was well saved by the Watford keeper.
Thereafter, Watford took control with De Gea
needing to be on red alert on more than one
occasion. Four minutes before the hour mark,
Watford put together their best move of the game
as Deeney caught the ball brilliantly on the edge of
the box after being set up by Ighalo but De Gea
pushed it clear. The United goalkeeper then had
Schneiderlin to thank minutes later when he
blocked Ighalo’s effort from five yards out.
Watford continued to turn the screw and De Gea
made two superb stops in quick succession after
the Reds had lost Jones to what appeared to be
yet another injury. The Hornets got the ball into
the box and after it had pinged about, Almen Abdi
had a go but De Gea got down brilliantly to tip
away after it had deflected off Smalling. He then
palmed away the resulting corner from almost
inside his goal.
Lingard had a chance to seal the victory seven
minutes from time but wasn’t able to lob Gomes as
he advanced from goal. It looked to be a crucial
miss when Deeney levelled proceedings from
penalty spot after Rojo tripped Ignalo three minutes
from full-time. Referee Robert Madley took some
time before making the decision and Deeney made
no mistake by lashing past De Gea.
Yet, there was still more to drama to come in
injury-time. United piled on the pressure and, after
Gomes had saved spectacularly from Smalling, he
could only palm Lingard’s shot into the path of
Schweinsteiger who sent the ball back across goal
for it to be turned home by Deeney, as he tried to
scramble off the line. Cue wild celebrations from
the Reds and another important three points.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession : Watford 44% United 56%
Shots at goal : Watford 10 United 13
Shots on target: Watford 5 United 6
Corners: Watford 4 United 10
Watford : Gomes; Nyom (Paredes 68), Cathcart,
Britos, Anya; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Jurado (Ake
46), Deeney (c); Ighalo.
Subs not used: Arlauskis, Oulare, Guedioura, Ibarbo,
Diamanti.
Booked: Watson
United: De Gea; Young, Jones (McNair 68),
Smalling, Blind; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Mata
(Pereira 79), Herrera (Rojo 25), Lingard; Memphis.
Subs not used: Romero, Darmian, Goss, Rashford.
Booked: Young, Lingard
MAN OF THE MATCH
David De Gea once again played a crucial role in
securing the points for United with a host of top
saves at vital moments at Vicarage Road. He was
powerless to stop Troy Deeney's penalty, but he
romped the Man of the Match poll with 78% of the
votes, ahead of goalscorer Memphis and former
Watford player Ashley Young.
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Louis van Gaal : "I was amazed at the spirit in our
team. We had the late penalty but, as a team, we
created another three possibilities in five minutes
after that. When you can do that as a team, then I
am a very proud manager."
Bastian Schweinsteiger : "It would be nice if it was
my goal but I know that the Watford player touched
the ball so, for me, it doesn’t matter. We won the
three points and that’s the most important thing.
The goal meant a lot to me because these sorts of
games can make the difference at the end of the
season."
Memphis Depay: "I enjoyed the goal a lot, of
course. I like to score goals. It was important for
me to score a goal when I got a chance. I was
happy. It was a nice moment [to celebrate with the
fans]."
PLAYERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Ashley Young - @youngy18
Great being back at Vicarage Road today, thanks to
all the @WatfordFC fans for the warm welcome.
Big three points for us and team spirit. #mufc
David De Gea - @D_DeGea
If you fight until the end, you end up finding a
reward! C'mon @manutd.
Phil Jones - @PhilJones4
Very important 3 points today in a tough game. Big
game ahead at Old Trafford Wednesday night!
@ManUtd
Ander Herrera - @AnderHerrera
What a team spirit! 3 fantastic points, I hope the
injury is as small as possible.
Juan Mata - @juanmata8
Not the prettiest game, but 3 very important points
straight after the international break! @ManUtd
#teamspirit
Bastian Schweinsteiger - @BSchweinsteiger
What a dramatic end of this match. So happy about
our last-minute victory! #mufc
Marcos Rojo - @marcosrojo5
Happy with another victory! #ManUnited
#RojoIsRed
Wayne Rooney - @WayneRooney
Well done today lads big 3 points.
@BSchweinsteiger congrats on your 1st goal.
Rio Ferdinand - @rioferdy5
What a result for @ManUtd ....late winner...could
this be the catalyst to go on a major march
towards the title....??
Gary Neville - @GNev2
Yesssssssssssss get in!!!!

Read More

United Players in International Duty

UNITED STARS HEAD OFF ON
INTERNATIONAL DUTY

Numerous Manchester United team-mates could
face each other on Friday 13 and Tuesday 17
November when the international break serves up
some intriguing fixtures.
England have four Reds in their squad with the
club's Player of the Month, Chris Smalling, being
joined by Phil Jones , Michael Carrick and the
country's recently-crowned record scorer Wayne
Rooney. Their first opponents Spain have called up
David De Gea and Juan Mata , who'll both be hoping
to feature in Friday's friendly at Estadio José Rico
Pérez in Alicante.
Four nights later, England will be at Wembley to
meet France, who have named Anthony Martial
and Morgan Schneiderlin in their squad for that
match and the preceding clash with Germany.
United's French duo could play against their Old
Trafford colleague Bastian Schweinsteiger at the
Stade de France on Friday.
Germany will then play neighbours Netherlands in
Hanover on 17 November - the Dutch have United
utility player Daley Blind and winger Memphis in
their squad for the game against the world
champions and the earlier encounter with Wales in
Cardiff.
Marouane Fellaini , who missed Saturday's win over
West Brom through injury, has been forced to
withdraw from the Belgium squad for Italy's visit to
Brussels on 13 November and the subsequent
meeting with Mata and De Gea's Spain at the
Koning Boudewifnstadion. Matteo Darmian is set to
keep his place in the Italian squad who will host
Romania in Bologna a few days after facing the
Belgians.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland manager Michael
O'Neill is hopeful that United's Paddy McNair could
still join up with his squad for Friday's visit of
Latvia to Windsor Park, even though he has not
been named on the initial 23-man list. The young
defender is still recovering from an abdominal
injury with O'Neill promising to "monitor him over
the next couple of days."
Across the Atlantic, Argentina will face Brazil in a
2018 World Cup qualifier on Friday at the Estadio
Monumental in Buenos Aires. Reds duo Marcos
Rojo and goalkeeper Sergio Romero are both in La
Albiceleste's squad for that game and their other
qualifying match away to Colombia at the Estadio
Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla.

INTERNATIONAL REDS - THE FIXTURES

Friday 13 November
Argentina v Brazil, 00:00 Saturday GMT (Marcos
Rojo, Sergio Romero)
Belgium v Italy, 19:45 GMT (Matteo Darmian)
France v Germany, 20:00 GMT (Anthony Martial,
Morgan Schneiderlin; Bastian Schweinsteiger)
Northern Ireland v Latvia, 19:45 GMT (Paddy
McNair)
Spain v England, 20:00 GMT (David De Gea, Juan
Mata; Michael Carrick, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling,
Wayne Rooney)
Wales v Netherlands, 19:45 GMT (Daley Blind,
Memphis)

Tuesday 17 November
Colombia v Argentina, 20:30 GMT (Marcos Rojo,
Sergio Romero)
Belgium v Spain, 19:45 GMT (David De Gea, Juan
Mata)
England v France , 20:00 GMT (Michael Carrick, Phil
Jones, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling; Anthony
Martial, Morgan Schneiderlin)
Germany v Netherlands, 19:45 GMT (Bastian
Schweinsteiger; Daley Blind, Memphis)
Italy v Romania, 19:45 GMT (Matteo Darmian)

Read More

Man Utd Vs West Brom

MANCHESTER UNITED 2 WEST
BROMWICH ALBION 0
- Van Gaal a 'happy manager' after victory
- Blind praises United's patience
- Lingard on target for the Reds in fine display

Scorers: Lingard 52’, Mata (pen) 90+1' | 7 November
2015 | Old Trafford | Attendance: 75,410

Manchester United got back to winning ways in the
Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 win against
West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday.
After long spells of fruitless first-half pressure from
the Reds, the breakthrough finally came early in
the second period when Jesse Lingard fired home a
super finish, bagging his first goal for the club as
his star continues to rise. Juan Mata then secured
the victory from the spot in injury time as United
stayed fourth in the league, notching a sixth clean
sheet in seven in the process.
Louis van Gaal named an unchanged side from the
XI that had overcome CSKA Moscow in midweek,
although Cameron Borthwick-Jackson became the
latest youngster to be included in the Dutchman’s
16, following Axel Tuanzebe’s appearance on the
bench against Crystal Palace last week.
Keen to build on the aforementioned Champions
League win, the Reds started brightly and
dominated possession, though did little to trouble
Boaz Myhill’s goal in the opening 10 minutes. The
first chance of note came just after the 15-minute
mark, when Bastian Schweinsteiger found Wayne
Rooney, who turned well and was able to prod ball
into the path of Mata. The Spaniard arced his body
to curl a shot past the reaches of Myhill, but also
narrowly past the post.
Meanwhile, West Brom, who fielded a side
containing Old Trafford old boys Darren Fletcher
and Jonny Evans, continued to defend with the
tirelessness and commitment that those players
had come to embody during their time at United,
frustrating the home side for long periods. With the
Baggies happy to sit back and soak up the play,
the onus was on United to break them down, yet,
despite the relentless pressure and possession, few
clear-cut chances were created.
Left-sided duo Marcos Rojo and Lingard did provide
a bright spark for the Reds, keeping West Brom
right-back Craig Dawson on his toes, and it was the
latter of the United pair who was next to go close.
Mata collected the ball on the edge of the area
before arrowing an expertly-weighted ball to the far
post looking for the young winger, but just as it
seemed destined to provide Jesse with the chance
of the half, Dawson intervened with a perfectly-
timed header to clear the danger. Lingard enjoyed
another opportunity late in the half, having been
put through on goal by Anthony Martial, but Evans
stood firm, diverting the ball out of play.
Seemingly not content with creating chances,
Martial then tested Myhill himself, but his stinging
drive was thwarted by the stopper as the score
remained goalless at the interval.

HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 76% West Brom 24%
Shots at goal: United 7 West Brom 2
Shots on target: United 1 West Brom 0
Corners: United 2 West Brom 1


There were no changes to personnel from either
side at the break and nor was there a change to
the state of play, as United began to take the
game to the visitors from the get-go.
Buoyed by chants of ‘Attack, Attack, Attack’, it
wasn’t long before the Reds finally turned
possession into a tangible advantage and,
unsurprisingly, it was the excellent Lingard who
broke the deadlock.
With just over 50 minutes on the clock, Martial sent
a ball into the area looking for Rooney, only for
Chris Brunt to clear the danger. Thankfully, the
Ulsterman’s clearance only went as far as Lingard,
who took a touch before bending a superb effort
past the beaten Myhill. The Warrington-born
winger’s first goal for the club was one that belied
his young years and was greeted by a deafening
roar from the Stretford End, stirred from its first-
half slumber.
The goal gave everyone of United persuasion a real
lift going into the start of an important second half,
but chances were still at a minimum, despite the
home side’s continued forays forward.
As the half drew on it was West Brom who began
to show more ambition going forward and Evans
might well have drawn the visitors level as he
seized upon confusion in the United defensive
ranks, possibly caused by a double substitution for
the Baggies shortly before a free-kick. It was a let-
off for van Gaal’s men, who then received another
huge slice of luck two minutes later when
substitute Saidy Berahino headed over from point-
blank range.
Borthwick-Jackson and Ander Herrera were then
brought on in quick succession in place of Rojo and
Rooney, following the earlier introduction of Phil
Jones at right-back. The changes seemed to take
the sting out of the game, with United now back in
control, and the home side earned the chance to
seal the points in added-on time.
The ever-sprightly Martial seized upon the tired
legs among the Baggies defence and looked set to
fire home before being chopped down by Gareth
McAuley. The West Brom man saw red for the late
challenge, allowing Mata to step up and coolly slot
home from 12 yards – job done.

FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 68% West Brom 32%
Shots at goal: United 13 West Brom 4
Shots on target: United 3 West Brom 0
Corners: United 5 West Brom 1
United: De Gea; Young (Jones 62’), Smalling, Blind;
Rojo (Borthwick-Jackson 76’); Carrick,
Schweinsteiger; Mata, Rooney (Herrera 81’),
Lingard; Martial.
Subs not used: Romero, Memphis, Schneiderlin,
Pereira.
Booked: Rojo
West Brom: Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt
(McManaman 85’), Morrison (Lambert 72’),
Fletcher, Yacob, McClean, Sessegnon, Rondon
(Berahino 72’).
Subs: Lindegaard, Olsson, Gardner.
Booked: Dawson, Rondon, Brunt
Sent off: McAuley
MAN OF THE MATCH
Another fine display from Jesse Lingard , this time
capped with a goal, caught the eye of Reds fans on
Twitter, who voted the Englishman Man of the
Match. The tricky forward scooped 63 per cent of
the votes in the poll on @ManUtd, with Bastian
Schweinsteiger (26 per cent) and Chris Smalling
(11 per cent) also commended following fine
performances.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Louis van Gaal: "Goals are always the most
important thing in a game but we're still not giving
many chances away. We have won a difficult game
that we lost last year and have improved again."
Daley Blind: "A lot of teams come here to get a
point so we have to be patient and move the ball
quickly. Sometimes it takes a while before you get
a chance, but in the end we got the three points
and that’s the most important thing."

Read More

Man Utd VS CSKA Moscow

Manchester United 1 CSKA Moscow 0

- Van Gaal relieved and proud after "deserved" win
- Rooney honoured to equal Law goals record
- Bastian: Winning goal has many beneifts
Scorers: Rooney 79' | 3 November 2015 | Old Trafford | Attendance: TBC
Manchester United's goal drought ended in dramatic fashion as Wayne Rooney's header in front of the Stretford End secured a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.
The Reds had not found the net in consecutive matches against Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace, which was a cause for concern ahead of this crunch tie in Group B. Although it took 80 minutes to find a breakthrough at a rain-sodden Old Trafford, the captain eventually delivered the goods to achieve a result that places the Reds top of the pool following Wolfsburg’s 2-0 defeat at PSV Eindhoven.
Louis van Gaal made three changes to his starting XI by recalling Ashley Young, Michael Carrick and Jesse Lingard, while crucially sticking with the under-fire Rooney up front. The United and England skipper almost scored in the third minute when his left-footed shot flashed just wide of the post, prompting audible cheers of his name from the Old Trafford faithful who were so eager to celebrates goals from the no.10.
Lingard unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty moments later and quickly hit another effort wide of target, before a fine long ball from Daley Blind on the halfway line led to Juan Mata forcing a decent save from goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev on 15 minutes as the Reds pressed for a first goal since Anthony Martial’s header in the previous fixture against CSKA at Arena Khimki, some four matches ago.
United completely dominated the first half - both in terms of possession and shots at goal - but were guilty of missing genuine opportunities with Rooney’s free-kick bouncing wide, Lingard’s second shot flying over and Marcos Rojo’s back-post volley missing the target from close range. It was undoubtedly a much-improved performance from the Reds, with just the finishing touch lacking.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 73% CSKA 27%
Shots at goal: United 8 CSKA 0
Shots on target: United 2 CSKA 0
Corners: United 4 CSKA 0
The second half began as the first left off, with the Reds missing further chances to score as Rojo nodded wide from just outside the six-yard box before the Argentinian - who used to play for CSKA’s rivals Spartak Moscow - supplied a cross from which Martial headed at the goalkeeper. The Frenchman might have done better, yet his pace and energy suggested more chances would come.
The visitors were defending with all 11 men behind the ball and they rarely ventured past the halfway line, except for the odd counter attack, which posed a conundrum for United. How do you break down a stubborn Russian defence? Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellini for Martial on the hour mark and the deadlock was almost broken moments later, when Rooney received the ball from Mata inside the six-yard area but was unable to move his feet quickly enough to execute a shot, much to his frustration.
Memphis, who had scored Champions League goals against Club Brugge and former club PSV, entered the fray on 74 minutes and his cross soon led to Carrick firing wide from range. CSKA then went close to causing an upset when Seydou Doumbia forced an excellent save from De Gea before the scorer on matchday three hit a shot on the rebound that was sensationally cleared off the line by Chris Smalling.
The eventual breakthrough could not have been scripted better – Rooney popped up inside the area to head Lingard’s excellent cross past the goalkeeper in front of a jubilant Stretford End, where the captain celebrated by running to the corner flag and wildly punching the air. It was a moment of relief and ecstasy, but more importantly it was a goal that earned three invaluable points in Champions League Group B.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 69% CSKA Moscow 31%
Shots at goal: United 14 CSKA Moscow 5
Shots on target: United 5 CSKA Moscow 3
Corners: United 10 CSKA Moscow 2
THE TEAMS
United: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schweinsteiger (Herrera 88'), Carrick, Lingard, Mata (Memphis 73'), Martial (Fellaini 66'), Rooney.
Subs not used: Romero, Jones, Darmian, Pereira.
Booked:

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Ferdnandes, Wenbloom, Ignashevich, Berezutski, Tosic (Golovin), Dzagoev, Musa, Milanov, Schennikov, Natcho (Doumbia 55').
Subs not used: Chepchugov, Vasin, Panchenko, Nababkin.
Booked: Schennikov, Wernbloom
MATCH REACTION
Van Gaal: "It was a fantastic goal; the preparation was fantastic. The tackle of Marcos Rojo, the pass of Michael Carrick, the cut-back of Jesse Lingard and the header of Wayne Rooney. It was fantastic."

Schweinsteiger: “For us it was very important to win that match at home. Also, in the group, we are now at the top and we have to win the next match against Eindhoven, but the situation is much better now.”
MAN OF THE MATCH
Lingard produced a brave and combatic performance that impressed followers of the club's official Twitter account, who voted him their star man ahead of fellow nominees Smalling and Schweinsteiger.

Read More

Man Utd vs Middlesbrough

PREVIEW: MANCHESTER UNITED V
MIDDLESBROUGH

How to follow the match: Wednesday's Capital One
Cup fourth-round tie at Old Trafford, which kicks off
at 20:00 GMT, will not be televised live in the UK.
You can follow the action in our live match blog or
via @ManUtd on Twitter, while MUTV's live
matchday programmes will be on air at 17:00 and
19:00 GMT, before the game is broadcast in full at
midnight.

Ticket information: Tickets are available for all
supporters to buy online via manutd.com/tickets or
by calling 0161 868 8000. All standard seats for
under 16s are priced at just £5 each.
Scene-setter : After draws against CSKA Moscow
and Manchester City in the Champions League and
Barclays Premier League respectively, it’s a third
different competition in a week for Manchester
United. The Reds are bidding to reach the last
eight of the League Cup and this will be a first
encounter with Championship high-fliers
Middlesbrough since they were relegated from the
top flight at the end of the 2008/09 season.

Form guide : United played out a hard-fought
goalless draw in the Manchester derby on Sunday
and are in miserly form at home, having only
conceded one goal in six domestic games at Old
Trafford so far this term. Boro, who lost to Norwich
City in last season’s Championship play-off final at
Wembley, came from a goal behind to win 3-1 at
Wolves at the weekend and are currently occupying
fourth place in the second-tier table.
Latest team news : Andreas Pereira could be in line
for another start after scoring in the last round
against Ipswich Town, but Antonio Valencia is a
doubt after being forced off with a foot injury near
the end of Sunday's derby match. The Reds are
without Luke Shaw and Paddy McNair but Ashley
Young and James Wilson are nearing a return. Boro
boss Aitor Karanka has hinted he may ring the
changes as he prioritises another promotion push,
with several of his men carrying knocks and four
other players being one booking away from a ban.

Trivia : Middlesbrough last won at Old Trafford in
2004, in the days of Juninho, Gaizka Mendieta and
Bolo Zenden. But they have more recent happy
memories of Manchester, having stunned City at
the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup in January,
winning 2-0. Their manager Karanka was a
defender in the Real Madrid team who beat United
in the 1999/2000 Champions League quarter-finals,
drawing 0-0 at the Bernabeu before winning 3-2 in
the second leg at Old Trafford.

Danger man : Stewart Downing is enjoying a new
lease of life at Boro, having returned from West
Ham in the summer for his second spell at the
Riverside Stadium. The former England winger, who
played in the Teessiders’ win at Old Trafford in
2004, netted a superb 20-yard free-kick in
Saturday’s win over Wolves but has since admitted
he is playing through the pain barrier after cracking
a rib.

View from the dressing room: “Middlesbrough are
playing in the Championship, but last season they
were really close to being promoted to the Premier
League and this year they're again up there. It's
going to be a good test for us in Old Trafford. I've
never won this tournament, I hope we can make it
this season.” - Juan Mata

Betting: Official betting partner Marathonbet is
offering 21/50 on a United win, with 32/5 on a Boro
victory and the draw priced at 9/2. Sign up with
Marathonbet via manutd.com/bet and check out
the latest odds.
Referee : The man in the middle on Wednesday will
be Lee Mason, whose last United game was the
1-1 away draw with Aston Villa in December. The
Lancashire official has issued 31 yellow cards and
one red in his nine matches so far this season.

Rivals watch : The other fourth-round ties, which all
take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, are:
Everton v Norwich City, Hull City v Leicester City,
Sheffield Wednesday v Arsenal, Stoke City v
Chelsea, Liverpool v Bournemouth, Manchester City
v Crystal Palace, Southampton v Aston Villa.

Read More

Man United VS Man City

MANCHESTER DERBY : UNITED V CITY

REPORT: UNITED 0 CITY 0
Scorers: None | 25 October 2015 | Old Trafford |
Attendance: 75,329
- Van Gaal: The way we played gives hope for the
future
- Smalling: We can take confidence from this game
- Boss confirms injury for Antonio Valencia




It was intense, physical and highly competitive but,
in the end, the 170th Manchester derby finished in
stalemate on Sunday as United and City frustrated
each other at Old Trafford, where substitute Jesse
Lingard almost stole the show when he hit the bar
late on.
This fixture has provided fans with goals galore in
recent history, as well as the odd moment of
greatness, but the latest meeting could not live up
to form. The result leaves City top of the Barclays
Premier League on goal difference ahead of
Arsenal, with United placed fourth behind West
Ham.
Juan Mata was brought back into the team for
Lingard and the Spaniard, playing on the right flank,
unsuccessfully appealed for an early penalty when
Fernandino almost handled the ball. City then
created a decent chance of their own through
Raheem Sterling, the ex-Liverpool man whose shot
was deflected wide of David De Gea’s goal to a
chorus of ironic cheers from the home fans.
Wayne Rooney temporarily left the action on 22
minutes with blood pouring from his head and the
birthday boy appeared to have the wound stapled
by the physio following a collision with Vincent
Kompany, the recalled City captain who clearly had
a point to prove to Manuel Pellegrini. It was just
one example of a highly physical first half, filled
with tough tackles and questionable challenges.
In truth, the opening 45 minutes did not feature
more than a handful of half-chances, with the best
falling to Yaya Toure when he headed wide from
Kevin De Bruyne’s corner. Despite a lack of clear-
cut openings, this was an absorbing first half that
still promised much for the second period.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 58% City 42%
Shots: United 0 City 4
On target: United 0 City 0
Corners: United 1 City 3
United traditionally attack the Stretford End in the
second halves of matches but, on this occasion,
due to City winning the coin toss before kick-off,
the Reds were forced to head towards the East
Stand. Louis van Gaal’s men almost broke the
deadlock when Ander Herrera’s shot was deflected
wide on 49 minutes before Sterling survived
another penalty appeal following a clumsy
challenge on Herrera. Chris Smalling then nodded
agonisingly wide of the far post from the resulting
corner kick with Morgan Schneiderlin unable to
connect on the stretch.
There was much more urgency to United’s
attacking play in the second half and the Reds
pressed forward in numbers whenever possible,
mostly down the left wing through the pace of
Anthony Martial, although scoring opportunities
were still at a premium against a well-organised
City defence. The answer, van Gaal hoped, might
arrive from the substitutes' bench as Lingard and
Marouane Fellaini entered the fray in place of Mata
and Bastian Schweinsteiger as the clock ticked on
at Old Trafford.
Academy graduate Lingard, the only local lad
involved in this fixture, almost stole the show in
sublime fashion when he latched onto Martial’s
exquisitely lofted pass to clip an acrobatic shot
over the helpless Joe Hart and onto the crossbar,
much to the exasperation of the Reds supporters.
Smalling then brought a fine save out of the
England no.1 with a low shot that proved to be the
final opportunity of Sunday's stalemate.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: United 59% City 41%
Shots: United 6 City 6
On target: United 1 City 1
Corners: United 6 City 4
THE TEAMS
United: De Gea, Valencia (Darmian 81'), Jones,
Smalling, Rojo, Schweinsteiger (Fellaini 74'),
Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mata (Lingard 66'), Rooney,
Martial.
Subs not used: Romero, Blind, Carrick, Memphis.
Booked: Mata, Schneiderlin
City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov,
Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure (Demichelis 77'),
Sterling (Navas 55'), De Bruyne, Bony (Iheanacho
82').
Subs not used: Caballero, Zabaleta, Mangala,
Roberts.
Booked: Fernandinho, Kompany
MATCH REACTION
Louis van Gaal: "The fans have seen the way we
have played and it was a very controlled game
from Manchester United. They are also
disappointed, like me, because you have to win
against these kind of teams, also for the fans, but
the way we have played gives hope for the future."
Chris Smalling: "We probably edged it overall with
the chances we had in the second half. Towards
the end, you could tell that, for the last 20-30
minutes, they were hanging on and bringing on
defenders, so it was on us to really push forward
and we did. On another day, the chances we had
might have gone in."

Read More

CSKA Moscow vs Man United

CSKA MOSCOW 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 1

Scorers: Doumbia 15; Martial 65 | 21 October 2015 | Arena Khimki | Attendance: 18,156

Manchester United came from a goal down in Russia to earn a vital point against CSKA Moscow after dominating proceedings at Arena Khimki.

It was an eventful night for Reds striker Anthony Martial who conceded a penalty at one end and netted a superb header at the other. Seydou Doumbia had put the Russian side ahead on 15 minutes, blasting home from close-range after Roman Eremenko’s spot-kick had been well saved by David De Gea. But Martial atoned for his handball not long after the hour-mark with a brilliantly directed header, in off the post, to help United claim an important point in Group B.

Louis van Gaal, perhaps with one eye on Sunday’s Manchester derby, made two changes to the team that eased past Everton at the weekend. Antonio Valencia, United’s match-winner against CSKA Moscow six years ago, came in at right-back to replace Matteo Darmian, while Jesse Lingard, who performed admirably in the second half on Merseyside, made his Champions League debut in place of Juan Mata. There was a familiar face in the opposition line-up with former Reds winger Zoran Tosic on the right flank for CSKA who came into the game unbeaten at home for six months.

With every team in Group B on three points you expected a tight opening to the match, played in near-freezing conditions, and that it was, although United had plenty of possession. It was therefore something of a surprise to see CSKA take the lead on 15 minutes, despite De Gea’s best efforts. Having initially saved Mario Fernandes’ shot, it turned out the referee had already blown up for a penalty after Fernandes’ flick was handled by Martial. Eremenko stepped up to take the spot-kick and despite De Gea pushing the ball onto the post, Doumbia was the fastest player to follow up as he swept home the rebound.

Things almost got worse for the Reds on half-hour mark when the pacey Ahmed Musa turned and took aim from 30 yards, but De Gea leapt high to tip the dipping shot over the bar.

More possession followed for the Reds before the break, but a 25-yard shot from Wayne Rooney, which dropped wide, was the only real effort of any note.

HALF-TIME STATISTICSPossession: CSKA 32% United 68%
Shots: CSKA 5 United 3
Shot on target: CSKA 3 United 1
Corners: CSKA 2 United 0

Marouane Fellaini entered the fray at the restart with Bastian Schweinsteiger making way. The pattern of the second half mirrored that of the first with plenty of possession for the Reds, but very little to show for it.

Rooney got a glimpse of goal on the hour when he met Ander Herrera's cross from the right with his head, but CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was on hand to claim.

The best opening of the match thus far arrived three minutes later when Herrera put Lingard through, but the youngster didn’t connect properly and could only steer the ball into the goalkeeper’s arms.

A United goal looked imminent and it duly arrived on 65 minutes. Valencia powered down the right and sent in a cross which was met by a fine header from Martial which rolled in off the post.

The Reds had a chance to win the match with four minutes left when substitute Memphis Depay’s curling cross was met by Martial, who pulled it back for Fellaini, but Akinfeev just managed to push the ball clear before the Belgian pounced.

That proved to be the last opportunity for United, who will now look forward to meeting CSKA again at Old Trafford on 3 November.

FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: CSKA 28% United 72%
Shots: CSKA 7 United 7
Shots on target: CSKA 4 United 3
Corners: CSKA 3 United 1

THE TEAMS

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Fernandes, Ignashevich, Vasili Berezutski (Aleksei Berezutski 41), Schennikov, Wernbloom, Zoran Tosic, Dzagoev (Cauņa 87), Eremenko (Panchenko 83), Musa, Doumbia.
Subs not used: Chepchugov, Nababkin, Milanov, Golovin.

United: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Rojo (Blind 64), Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger (Fellaini 46), Lingard (Memphis 79), Herrera, Martial, Rooney.
Subs not used: Romero, Darmian, Carrick, Mata.
Booked: Martial, Herrera, Fellaini

MANAGER AND PLAYER REACTION

"I don’t think we played too fast in ball possession, it was too slow in the first half. We improved that in the second half and scored a fantastic goal. We could have won but 'could have' doesn't count in football." - Louis van Gaal

"Martial didn’t let his head go down because that [conceding a penalty] can happen to anyone. Anthony scored a great goal and after that we pushed on but we could not score the second goal which was a shame.” - Morgan Schneiderlin

Read More

Martial Wins Barclays Player Of Month

Martial named Barclays Player of the Month

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been named the Barclays Player of the Month for September.

The French youngster's instant impact at Old Trafford following a deadline-day move from Monaco earned him a place on the top flight's shortlist and he then beat off competition from United colleague Daley Blind, Watford striker Odion Ighalo, Tottenham Hotspur keeper Hugo Lloris, West Ham United schemer Dimitri Payet and Leicester City attacker Jamie Vardy.
It is the first time a United player has earned the accolade since Robin van Persie back in April 2013. Wayne Rooney has won it five times, one behind the overall record-holder, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. Ashley Young is the only man to have won it three times in a calendar year (in 2008 with Aston Villa).
Martial was edged out for the club's own monthly award in one of the closest-ever fan polls on ManUtd.com -  Juan Mata pipped his team-mate by a mere two per cent. However, the French teenager also scooped the PFA Fans' Player of the Month prize for September.

Swansea City's Andre Ayew was the previous recipient of Barclays' monthly prize this season after scoring against United in August.

Read More

Everton Vs Man United

0 - 3
FT
Morgan Schneiderlin
(18)
Ander Herrera (22)
Wayne Rooney (62)

Sat 17 Oct 2015, Goodison Park
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 39,553
#EVEMUN
Statistics
0
Goals
3
47%
Possession
53%
3
Shots on target
7
6
Shots off target
2
5
Corners
3
12
Fouls
14
2
Yellow Cards
2

Goals
Min Scorer Club
18 Morgan Schneiderlin MUN
22 Ander Herrera MUN
62 Wayne Rooney MUN

Bookings
Min Player Club
22 Seamus Coleman EVE
50 Bastian Schweinsteiger MUN
52 Marcos Rojo
70 Romelu Lukaku

Read More

Arsenal VS Man United

Sunday 4 October 2015 | Emirates Stadium | Referee: Anthony Taylor | Attendance 60,084

• Alexis Sánchez (6, 19)
• Mesut Özil (7)

Arsenal

3 - 0

Man Utd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arsenal turned in a devastating first-half performance to storm to a memorable 3-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Manchester United.
Goals by Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the space of 74 seconds gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead by the seventh minute at Emirates Stadium and Sanchez scored his sixth goal in three matches in the 19th minute.
Petr Cech returned for Arsenal following Arsene Wenger's decision to rest the goalkeeper for Tuesday's 3-2 UEFA Champions League defeat to Olympiacos, but the selection decisions made by his opposite number Louis van Gaal are now set to fall under the spotlight.
Van Gaal dropped Morgan Schneiderlin to accommodate Michael Carrick in midfield, but a United's soft centre was repeatedly exposed by a rampant Arsenal, while Matteo Darmian was substituted at half-time for a second time this season, having switched to right-back to accommodate Ashley Young in the other full-back position.
Aaron Ramsey might have ensured United conceded four first-half goals for the first time in BPL history before the early drama gave way to a more sedate second-half affair, in which United dominated possession but lacked penetration.
Arsenal leapfrog their opponents on goal difference to go second in the table, two points behind the league leaders Manchester City.
Wenger's men showed no sign of a hangover from their midweek defeat, pressing the visitors deep into their own half from the kick-off, and United crumbled under the pressure in just the sixth minute.
Ramsey slotted a nicely weighted pass down the right channel for Ozil to cut back from the byline and Sanchez beat David De Gea to the ball to net an impudent backheel at the near post.
The Chile forward had the audacity to repeat the trick a minute later, his instinctive flick releasing Theo Walcott to speed past Daley Blind and cross for Ozil to double the advantage with a first-time shot.
There was little evidence of United's heads having cleared when Arsenal delivered another telling blow.
Walcott picked out Sanchez 25 yards from goal on another sweeping attack and the South American waltzed past Darmian's challenge before sending a blistering strike into the top corner.
It could have been 4-0 when Sanchez lofted a cross to Ramsey at the back post but the unmarked Wales international sent his close-range volley over the bar.
Cech was a virtual spectator but he made a telling contribution a minute before half-time, saving with his left leg after Anthony Martial took advantage of Per Mertesacker's slip.
Van Gaal opted for a double change at the interval, with Antonio Valencia and Marouane Fellaini replacing Darmian and Memphis Depay.
There was greater poise about the visitors after the resumption but Ozil fizzed an effort narrowly wide after his 52nd-minute free-kick came back off the wall.
Wayne Rooney, who displayed his frustration when booked for a foul on Ozil, was the next United player to extend Cech with a bouncing drive.
The ex-Chelsea goalkeeper then thwarted Bastian Schweinsteiger before Juan Mata looped a left-footed attempt over.
Arsenal substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain clipped the crossbar with a neat lob in stoppage time, attempting to add the result that ended Man Utd's run of three consecutive top-flight wins.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "We did not give them any chances to score and that was vital. We surprised them with our start.
"From Petr Cech to Theo Walcott we only had superb performances. I have managed many strong teams and never had one that played 60 games at the same level.

"You have to accept that we are human beings."
Manchester United manager Luis van Gaal: "It was a very bad start, without aggression and the will to win. That is the first time I have seen that from my team. I did not expect that.
"We have won our last four matches - I gave the players a day off because they were tired. On Saturday the training was normal, I was very amazed to see that.
"All teams will have a dip."
 

Read More