Arsenal's first win of their Champions League campaign sees them move up to second place in Group F, behind Marseille, who defeated Borussia Dortmund by three goals.
Watch: Chamberlain & Santos Goals vs Olympiacos
Arsenal defeated the Greek side Olympiacos in their second Champions League group game thanks to goals from two of Arsene Wenger's summer signings, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos.
Careless Manchester United Lose Lead
Luckily for all involved with Manchester United, late goals are the clubs speciality, and sure enough, a beautiful cross from Nani met Ashley Young's head perfectly, ending up in the bottom corner of the Base net to secure United's second point in the far harder than expected group stages. Improvement is absolutely needed, with this performance containing a number of very undesirable traits in the teams play which no United fan will enjoy seeing repeated.
Basel began very brightly, catching a United side which may or may not have underestimated their opposition, off-guard. The travelling side were able to create a number of extremely good chances, and United were lucky that they were being bombarded by shots from misfiring and woefully inefficient strikers for much of the game rather than ruthless, clinical finishers which a better side will have possessed.
Danny Welbeck settled the home crowds nerves in the 16th minute, and did so again just sixty seconds later with a very quick double strike to set United on their way to an easy victory. It was the ideal remedy for a shaky start, but apparently did little to cure the problem at the heart of the performance. United were dangerous going forward, most notably in the first half, with the wing play being as cutting and dangerous as ever. This is highlighted by the fact that all of the goals United scored originated from out wide, but attacking was never an issue with the likes of Young, Valencia, Welbeck and Giggs in the side.
The defending was proving to be the real issue. Ferdinand and Evra were poor, with Jones not up to his very high introductory standard, probably because he was left to help out for others mistakes. They did not get close enough to Basel, and the midfield were sloppy in their defensive play too, even when the opposition got in and around the box, they were allowed too much space to pass, move and create problems.
United are not known for conceding a lot of goals, so three in just one game is certainly out of the ordinary. Of course one must allow for injuries to key players, but this team is a very capable and talented one, and certainly should not be letting three goals escape them.
Hopefully, this is simply a one-off performance - a lapse in concentration - a momentary defensive blip on a road to success. The players acknowledge it was a performance out of the ordinary. Michael Carrick said:
"It was a bit of a shock to find ourselves 3-2 down after being 2-0 up. We’ve no excuses, we threw it away. It’s not like us at all."
"Tonight we'll take a draw yet it still feels a bit like a defeat. But we’ll not get too down about it, we’ll move on and bounce back. We have to."While the contest provided much entertainment, with goals galore, slip-ups, penalties and a referee who constantly found himself in the way of play, it will not be something Manchester United want to make a habit of. Tightening the defence will have to be a priority, as well as getting the complacency and sloppiness out of their play.
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Watch: Manchester United 3 - 3 Basel
What an unusual game. Manchester United rarely lose a two goal lead, but a mixture of complacency, poor defending and all round sloppy play led to an almighty scare in their second Champions League group game against FC Basel.
Danny Welbeck fired United ahead with a pair of goals within just two minutes, and Sir Alex Ferguson's side were lucky to still have that lead in tact at half time with the amount of chances the Swiss side created. However, the luck soon ran out, with Basel's persistence finally paying off with three goals in relatively quick succession, including a penalty conceded by Antonio Valencia.
Nani came on and provided a beautiful cross to assist Ashley Young in heading into the bottom corner to save a point. Manchester United are third in their group with two points, with only FC Otelul Gatali who are yet to record a point.
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Wilshere's "Stress Fracture" - Out for 5 Months
Wilshere has not played any competitive games for Arsenal this season, having realized the injury in a pre season friendly against the New York Red Bulls late in July. His absence from the team as well as the departure of Nasri and Fabregas can be put down as one of the main reasons that the club has started the season so badly against sides who have stronger depth and energy in their squads.
Wilshere's injury is a "stress fracture", and if you have never heard of such an injury before, allow me to explain as best I can with the help of my trusty friend Wikipedia. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg - in Wilshere's case, the ankle. Unlike Aaron Ramsey and Eduardo's injuries in recent times at Arsenal, Wilshere's "stress fracture" will not have appeared suddenly, but over time through repeated traumas, which when added together, week in, week out of playing football, were enough to cause severe pain to the ankle.
The argument of Wilshere being "overplayed" in Arsenal's long season last year may be brought into the equation, and considering his young age of just 19 and the 49 games he played under Wenger in the 2010-11 season, there is certainly some weight behind it. The player is constantly on the move around the field, is naturally aggressive in his play and is never afraid of committing to a strong tackle a few times a game. A combination of his style of play and number of appearances may have unfortunately led to this injury.
Arsenal have their star in good hands however, with a club statement revealing that Wilshere is under the care of two world renowned surgeons. It read:
"Jack Wilshere has this morning undergone ankle surgery at a central London hospital. Under the care of two world-renowned surgeons, Jack has had the stress fracture of his right ankle repaired."
"The initial indications are that the surgery has been successful and Jack will now undergo a prolonged period of rehabilitation. It is envisaged that Jack's rehabilitation will take a period of four to five months."We wish Wilshere the best of luck in his rehabilitation process.
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"CAMP NOU DEMOLEDOR"
Las cifras son demoledoras: tres partidos de Liga en el Camp Nou, todos con el 3-4-3 de punto de partida y un parcial de 18-0. Con Leo Messi, autor de dos 'hat tricks' y un doblete, como 'cañonero' de este inicio explosivo en el Estadi, el Barça de Pep Guardiola sigue haciendo honor a su bien ganado apelativo de 'Manita Team'. Su 5-0 al Real Madrid del 29 de noviembre de 2010 es posiblemente su triunfo más recordado en el Estadi pero no sólo los blancos, que encajaron además un doloroso 2-6 en la Liga 2009-10 en el Santiago Bernabéu, han sucumbido ante el impresionante potencial realizador del mejor equipo del mundo.
De los 192 encuentros oficiales de la 'era Guardiola', los azulgrana han marcado cinco o más dianas en 27 de ellos (20 en el Camp Nou y siete a domicilio). En el ránking de palizas, el 5-0 que esta campaña han recibido Villarreal y Atlético de Madrid es el resultado más repetido. Hasta 12 veces ha vencido el Barça con este marcador, aunque en un par de ocasiones (Basilea en la Champions 2008-09 y Tenerife en la Liga 2009-10) lo firmó lejos del Estadi.
El conjunto de Guardiola ha acostumbrado demasiado bien a sus aficionados hasta el punto de que el guarismo más habitual en el Camp Nou desde que el de Santpedor relevó a Frank Rijkaard en el banquillo no es el 5-0 por muy poco. La del sábado ante los colchoneros fue la décima 'manita' dejando la puerta a cero en el coliseo barcelonista y quedándose a uno de los 11 partidos que han acabado con victoria por 2-0.
Por si fuera poco, de los 93 compromisos que el Barça de Pep ha disputado en casa, en 35, es decir, el 38%, metió al menos cuatro goles. Sólo en cinco partidos se quedó sin perforar la red adversaria: 0-0 contra el Chelsea en la Champions 2008-09, 0-1 ante Osasuna en la Liga 2008-09, 0-2 del Hércules en la Liga 2010-11 , 0-0 frente al Athletic en la Copa 2010-11 y 0-0 contra el Depor en la pasada Liga.
Arsenal's £2.75 million Success Story
The Arsenal manager said after Robin van Persie's double strike against Bolton on Saturday in which his second goal was his 100th for Arsenal, that it would be "difficult to imagine our team without him." It is a sentiment which will no doubt be echoed by every Arsenal supporter, with the 28 year-old Dutchman not only being a massive presence in the squad as the new captain, but also a fan favourite with mutual respect between himself and the fans.
Indeed this marvellous relationship began seven years ago, when Wenger discovered a gifted young left winger with exceptional dribbling skills as well as a superb eye for goal plying his trade with the Dutch club Feyenoord. Arsenal already had a legendary striker from the Netherlands at the club in the form of Dennis Bergkamp, but at a very advanced stage in his career, Wenger wanted a replacement.
A wonderfully inexpensive bargain at £2.75 million, van Persie is now in his eighth season with Arsenal, and having been converted into a striker by Wenger, has reached the incredible 100 goal landmark, assisting an equally impressive 46 goals along the way. He becomes only the 17th player to ever reach the 100 goal mark in Arsenal's history and the only current Gunner inside the top 20 goalscorers for the club.
It is a widely held belief that without his persistent and unfortunate injuries which he has been prone to, he would have far more goals to his name, and would be far higher up the list of top scorers, and closer to another of Wenger's bargain buys, Thierry Henry, at the peak.
Van Persie's personal achievements with Arsenal are slightly overshadowed by the fact that he has only won a single F.A Cup in 2004 and a Community Shield a year later. It is a disappointing and unfortunate record for a man who could have achieved so much more with another club, yet the fact he has stayed loyal to Arsenal for so long, is another reason why he is held in such high regard.
The latest transfer rumours link him with a move to Manchester City for a fee of £30 million, and while it seems incredibly unlikely that van Persie would jump ship now, that price tag emphasises his importance as a player, leader and world-class star.
Wenger is under a lot of pressure for his role in Arsenal's nose-dive towards the bottom half of the table this season as well as the lack of trophies in the last six or so, but a success story such as van Persie's has a lot to do with the French manager. It may be a long term policy, but has proved to have paid dividends, and is one of the main actions that Wenger will be remembered for when he has gone.
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Penalty Ignorance, But United Remain Top
However, a Crouch header and two ignored blatant penalty claims meant that Sir Alex Ferguson had to settle for just the one point at the Britannia, leaving Manchester United's impressive 100% record this season to drift sorrowfully into the distance. We mourn its passing.
It was an inevitability, and was always a possibility at Stoke considering their record against the big sides at home. A fierce home crowd and extraordinary physicality of the players who get incredibly tight to the opposition, efficiently snuffing out any danger, helped Stoke to restrict United from playing free-flowing football on the floor and creating chances.
Nani's opening goal came from some very patient play on the right hand side for United, passing it well under little pressure when suddenly a burst of pace and quick thinking from Darren Fletcher and the Portuguese winger created some space to smash the ball home. It was the 24 year old's third League goal of a very promising season for him, bringing his goal tally up to 5 in all competitions.
If a penalty had been given as it surely should have been in the third minute when Hernandez was brought down by Woodgate from behind in a one-on-one with Begovic, United would have probably been two goals ahead when Nani struck in the 27th minute. The referee, Peter Walton was not feeling in a generous mood however, and didn't feel that a foul which caused the Mexican striker to limp off with an injury inside the box was a penalty.
Immediately after the United goal, Stoke's Andy Wilkinson did all Manchester United fans and David de Gea defenders a favour by forcing a stunning save from the young Spanish goalkeeper. We had been led to believe that Sir Alex Ferguson had attempted to beef up his goalkeeper throughout the week to prepare him for the physical game, but despite de Gea still resembling a skinny 12 year-old with a suspect beard, he showed every bit of quality with a great reaction save, preventing the shot from tearing the top corner of the net.
Another save was squeezed out of de Gea before half time, as he dived across his goal to push away a Jonathon Walters shot which looked destined for the far corner. But 7 minutes into the second half, United's goalkeeper had been beaten, and his clean sheet disappeared. Etherington's curling cross found Crouch, who had, in turn, lost Phil Jones to head the ball powerfully beyond de Gea, much to the delight of the Stoke fans.
Another Crouch chance straight after the goal was blazed hilariously over, before the official's added to the comedy by denying United another penalty when an Evra shot hit Ryan Shawcross' raised arm in the box.
All in all, while United may feel aggrieved about the penalty decisions which did not go their way, the Stoke chances which were missed could have so easily struck the back of the net. There were a few bum-clenching moments for United fans, so a point will not be badly received at Old Trafford, despite the rare occasion in which Manchester United have been restricted to only the one goal this season.
It wasn't a game in which many players stood out as performing brilliantly, but Sir Alex put this down to the unsettling news of injuries creeping into his players minds and the teams performances. He said:
"In terms of the attacking part we showed some good play and maybe should have scored more. We've always done well here, but all the changes we had to make today [with injuries to Evans, Hernandez and Rooney] maybe just unsettled us a bit for parts of the game."It is one draw among five other incredibly impressive wins. It's nothing to worry about.
Watch Goals: Arsenal 3 - 0 Bolton
Arsenal moved up to twelfth in the Premier League table with a 3 - 0 win against Bolton at the Emirates. Two goals from Robin van Persie and a third one from Alex Song saw Arsenal breeze past a team who now sit bottom of the table having lost their last five games.
The Arsenal win will relieve some pressure from the shoulders of Arsene Wenger, who had managed his side to only four points from five games before today. Will this win turn around Arsenal's season? Who knows, but it is a win to build upon as they aim for one of the top four spots.
The Arsenal win will relieve some pressure from the shoulders of Arsene Wenger, who had managed his side to only four points from five games before today. Will this win turn around Arsenal's season? Who knows, but it is a win to build upon as they aim for one of the top four spots.
Walcott will be Played as a Striker for Arsenal
According to Walcott, he has been promised a chance to move into a central role of the Arsenal attack, rather than being stuck out on the wing feeling that his talents are "wasted." Known for his blistering pace, most have come to seen Walcott as a winger since his move to Arsenal in 2006. However it is clear for all to see that the wing is not where the 22 year-olds' talent lies.
His delivery is poor, and often seems to run faster than he can think. He rarely takes advantage of one on one situations with the full-back, and is hesitant at big opportunities which natural wingers would take full advantage of. He has had several impressive performances for club and country, but clearly feels more would occur on a regular basis if he were to be played up-front. He told the official Arsenal website:
"I had a meeting with the boss and explained my point of view. He knew the conversation would come up and was very happy to talk about it.""So much more" is exactly what Arsenal need right now as they sit just above the relegation places five games into the new season with only four points. With Robin van Persie a starter when fit, and the arrivals of Gervinho and Park, Walcott will encounter tough competition for a forward position, but he seems confident in his goalscoring ability, with three goals already this season.
"He says he’ll give me a chance there at the right time, and I’m dying for it to happen – but he knows exactly what he is doing and obviously I trust him."
"I believe I can give so much more to the team playing up front, with the runs I can make off the ball, and I just love hitting the back of the net as well."
"At times I feel a bit, if not wasted, then in and out of games on the right. I just want it more and more, having scored a few last season - I’m not a winger and I think plenty of people know that. I’ve done OK out there but I’d love to play down the middle."
He may be heavily criticized by many football fans who see no natural footballing brain present, Walcott can take huge comfort from how Lionel Messi described him when he was not included in England's 2010 World Cup squad. The Argentinian, thought of as the very best attacker in the world said:
"I can only speak from experience but he was one of the most dangerous players I have ever played against."
Manchester United's Productive "Waste"
It took a year for the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee to recover, but since that fateful injury, the now 31 year-old striker has suffered many more, less serious but equally destructive injuries which have blighted his career for three of the biggest clubs in England as well as the 31-time La Liga winners, Real Madrid.
His eight seasons with Liverpool were a massive success, creating a worldwide name for himself , scoring a brilliant 158 goals in 297 appearances, helping Liverpool to an F.A Cup, two League Cups and a UEFA Cup as well as the individual 2001 Ballon d'Or, marking him out as the best player in Europe. If it wasn't for his present connection with rivals Manchester United, Owen would have undoubtedly cemented his place as a Liverpool legend as their 7th all-time top goal scorer.
Now with Manchester United after perhaps 'unfortunate' spells with Real Madrid and Newcastle, his long, successful career is slowly coming to an end. Injuries and stiff competition for places at Old Trafford have restricted him to 41 appearances as he enters into his third season with the club, with many of those being cameo appearances from the bench.
His latest appearance was a rare start against Leeds United in the Carling Cup, and his first game of the season. By the time the game had finished, Owen had reminded everyone who watched the game or heard about it afterwards, what a fantastic striker he actually is. Despite the constant set backs and physical constraints, his awareness in the box remains superb, his movement is exquisite, and his finishing, lethal.
Two goals in just one game sum Owen up well. He takes his chances when he gets them. He may get stick for warming the bench, and he naturally isn't satisfied with his static role in the dugout, but he continues to do what he has always done best, and what football teams require to succeed; score goals.
With competition like Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and £30 million Dimitar Berbatov, the former Liverpool striker, who signed for absolutely nothing is a very important part of the Manchester United team. He is a necessity that all big teams must have, and an essential feature that a team like Arsenal, currently struggling miserably when they should be winning trophies, do not have; quality in depth.
United were able to put out a makeshift squad out against a mid-table Championship side fired up by their home crowd and yet they won with ease. Sir Alex Ferguson ended with a defence made up of an attacking winger, a international midfielder, a £30 million striker and one half of the energetic twins in Fabio, yet a clean sheet was kept. Up front, Rooney and Hernandez were allowed a rest, yet Owen provided the two vital goals to settle the young but experienced and quality squad into the win.
Michael Owen may not be proud of taking home a considerable wage despite not playing, but in a Manchester United squad which thrives on its outstanding strength in depth, Owen, whose career has been branded a "waste" by some because of injures id a hugely appreciated productive asset to Manchester United, and will continue to be so throughout this season.
Benayoun Out With Injury
The Israeli midfielder scored his first Arsenal goal in the Carling Cup tie, and announced his delight via his official Twitter account, but also delivered the bad news that he joins the Arsenal injury list, saying:
"So happy for the win yesterday and with my first goal for the club but very disappointed as I have a strain and will be out for a week or so."Luckily for Arsenal and Wenger, Benayoun's injury is not too serious, and the 31 year-old attacking midfielder, who is owned by Chelsea, will only miss the Bolton game on Saturday and perhaps the Champions League group game against Olympiacos on Wednesday 28th.
Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere, Sebastian Squillaci, Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen remain injured for Arsenal. Read more about those players' injuries on Arsenal's official website here.
Chamberlain: Quality Signings Need time to Gel
Arsene Wenger's £15 million summer signing is hoping to push on in the first team after getting a start this week, and despite his new clubs atrocious start to the season, he is positive his new team mates can turn it around. It is all about patience and hard-work according to the former Southampton attacker. He told Arsenal's official website:
“I think it is a really good squad. I think we just need to keep plugging away and it will come right for us."
“There are a lot of quality, quality signings here and a lot of quality in the boys that are already here. We just need to gel together now and kick on."Chamberlain is confident that the squad is also good enough to seriously challenge for all three domestic competitions despite Arsenal's current Premier League position just above the relegation places in 17th place with only 4 points from 5 games, saying:
“I think we have what it takes to get to the final in this competition and put in a good claim in the Premier League and the FA Cup too.”He did not underestimate the importance of the win against League Two side, Shrewsbury, as it will help Arsenal's confidence going back into the weekends Premier League football. Champions League football must be the very least Arsenal should be aiming for this season, so a rare win, whoever it is against has helped the young squad:
“It was a massive game for us. Even though you may say it is against lesser opposition, we still had to bounce back from the result at the weekend, put a statement down and make sure we qualified for the next round.”
Watch: Leeds 0 - 3 Manchester United
A Michael Owen double and Ryan Giggs strike saw Manchester United progress from the third round of the Carling Cup with a promising, youth-orientated squad which gifted United fans a glimpse of the future, with three youngsters making their competitive débuts.
United's two goalscorers on the night have played a combined total of over 1300 games throughout their careers, but as their time come to an end, this game will have been a welcome competitive game as the wave of talented youths come through the United ranks. Watch the goals below:
United's two goalscorers on the night have played a combined total of over 1300 games throughout their careers, but as their time come to an end, this game will have been a welcome competitive game as the wave of talented youths come through the United ranks. Watch the goals below:
Owen 1st
Owen 2nd
Giggs 1st
'The Exhibition of Champions' at Wembley
England has a proud tradition of Champions League finals, and while Liverpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are the only English clubs to have won the competition, London's Wembley Stadium has hosted an impressive 6 finals, the most recent of which Manchester United were defeated by four-time winners, Barcelona.
Now, to remember countless incredible memories that football fans from all eras may have experienced of the competition, Wembley Stadium is hosting an "Exhibition of Champions" which celebrates the 56 years of glorious European Football history. A stunning total of over 700 artefacts will be on display at Wembley - items belonging to legends of the game - players considered as the greatest of their generation, including:
· The match balls from the last five finals
· Denis Law’s jersey from 1968
· The original Intercontinental Cup – valued at approximately £225,000
· Johan Cruyff’s jersey from 1972
· David Villa’s signed shirt from 2011
· Celtic signed frame from their 1967 victory
· Di Stefano’s 1959 jersey
· Van Basten’s jersey from 1990
· McGovern’s shirt from 1979
· Eusebio‘s shirt from 1963
· Zidane’s boots from 2002
It will also feature prize exhibits including inspirational Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard’s 2005 captain’s armband, David Beckham’s jersey from Manchester United’s nail biting victory in 1999 and Graeme Souness’ three winners’ medals from ’78, ’81 and ’84.
It is indeed a stunning collection of items, littered with some of the great names never mind from just European football, but names known all around the world. The astonishing reach that the competition has is emphasised by the television viewing figures; 300 million people worldwide tuned in to watch Barcelona take on Manchester United at Wembley in May 2011 - a record breaking amount of enthused football fans witnessing history.
The Wembley Stadium Tour has welcomed millions of sports fans since it first opened in 1978 and now from Monday visitors will be able to enjoy the ‘Exhibition of Champions’ as well as the England changing rooms, players tunnel, trophy winner’s steps, press conference rooms and Wembley’s famous Royal Box.
To book a place on the Wembley Tour and see the ‘Exhibition of Champions’ visit www.wembleystadium.com/tours or call 0844 800 2755.
Barcelona Want Arsenal Defensive Target
Arsenal, who scoured the globe for a suitable central defender during the summer, showed real interest in Bolton's 25 year-old defender, Gary Cahill. The asking price of £17 million was considered too high by Arsene Wenger, and Arsenal purchased Per Mertesacker instead in a last minute rush to find reinforcements across the squad.
Now, what seems to be Arsenal's loss may prove to be Barcelona's gain, as they are said to be raising their interest in the former Aston Villa, Burnley and Sheffield United lad, apparently preparing a £10 million move for Cahill.
Out of contract next summer, Cahill is likely to move on with considerable interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, but surely the European Champions will blow the English sides out of the water. The opportunity to play in such a fantastic team with countless world beaters in the squad is a stunning opportunity, not to mention a very, very rare one indeed.
The England international would provide cover in the Barcelona defence, and with Carles Puyol ageing at an impressive 33 as well as more prone to injuries, Cahill would be capable of stepping in and being that physical presence needed at the back, pairing up with the former Manchester United defender, Gerard Pique.
Cahill has said in the passed he wants to play European football, but surely even he couldn't have expected to be playing it at Camp Nou rather than the Emirates.
Extraordinary Game At Old Trafford
It was a game billed as "magical" pre-match by Sky, and the first half certainly had a whiff of fantasy about it, with three goals scored by Manchester United, which on another day may never have happened. Smalling opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a powerful header thanks to a sublime cross from Ashley Young. Nani then got in on the act just as Chelsea were pressing the home side with a stunning display of individual skill and technique, while Rooney topped the half off with his ninth of the season.
Yet the first two could have easily been called for offside, and the third was incredibly lucky to fall conveniently into Wayne Rooney's path. At this point in the game, United had attempted around four shots on goal, scoring three. This compared to Chelsea's 10 or so, and you'd need to applaud United for the clinical edge they possessed against their biggest test of the season.
They may not have been at their best, but with a front three with the quality of Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani, all in magnificent form, it didn't matter. Chances were always going to be created with those three leading the line, and all three played a big part in at least one of the goals scored. It comes as no surprise that with those three, United have put a brilliant 21 goals past their opposition in only five games.
The central midfield pairing of Anderson and Fletcher is a very different two from that of Anderson and Cleveley, but United welcomed back their virus-struck Scot, who has always been a player for the big games. He put in a solid display as usual, while the Brazilian, who has had an impressive start to the season was able to get back on track after a shaky, sloppy start which saw him gift Chelsea the ball a number of times.
The second half could have been so different, and United fans were worried when Torres struck just 30 seconds into the half. Not too worried however, because despite Torres scoring a very rare goal to make some believe that the magic of the game could help Chelsea's cause, Manchester United simply do not lose a three goal lead at home.
Chelsea pressed, and certainly had golden opportunities to score at least a couple more, but a mixture of fierce defending, poor finishing and sheer luck prevented any more goals hitting the back of the net. Rooney missed a penalty, Hernandez was on the end of a shocking tackle in the penalty area which could rule him out for a few weeks, and as mentioned before, Torres missed a sitter.
A thoroughly entertaining game ended with Manchester United remaining at the peak of the Premier League table, clear by two points after Manchester City drew away at Fulham leaving United the only team in the top division with a 100% record.
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