Man Utd 4 - 3 Man City: match report

From a neutral standpoint today's Manchester derby was a spectacle which oozed tenacity, and featured two incredibly determined teams intent on making a statement by claiming the three points. It was a true local derby, played at a break-neck pace and dominated by high-tempo attacking football along with defensive nervousness. Mark Hughes will be furious at the referee's decision to add 90 seconds onto the additional 4 minutes, but his side made the schoolboy error of failing to play to the whistle, and allowed mental fatigue to affect their concentration in the dying moments.

United started brightly, and it took only 2 minutes for their attacking style to overwhelm the City defense, as Wayne Rooney slotted the ball into the back of the net with a wonderful individual effort. For the next quarter of an hour, the game was not a contest. City looked as though the occasion would get the better of them, as they saw very little of the ball and appeared to lack the confidence to make anything happen when they were in possession.

It wasn't until the equalising goal that the match really took off. After a relatively impressive start to the season between the sticks, Ben Foster's calamitous error allowed Carlos Tevez to wrestle the ball away, and pass it to Gareth Barry to slot the ball into an empty net. The remainder of the first half saw City enjoy their most impressive spell of the match, but they were unable to find the goal that would put them ahead. City finished the half a far better committed and confident side that began the match.

Once more however, United were the more impressive side out of the blocks in the second half. Two of United's most effective players on the field connected within 5 minutes of the restart, as Ryan Giggs' beautifully flighted cross landed on the head of Darren Fletcher. City fought back again though, as Craig Bellamy took advantage of United's dithery defense with a destructive strike from outside the box. United pushed on and regained their composure, and their dominant second half performance wore City down, barely allowing them any time to re-organise. Darren Fletcher thought he'd found the winner again, when he exploited the gaps in City's zonal defensive system, but Rio Ferdinand's astonishing mistake at the back allowed City a last-gasp equaliser to secure themselves a 3-3 draw and a point. Or so they thought.

Referee Martin Atkinson enjoyed an impressive game, and the FA will defend his decision to allow the clock to run all the way up to 96 minutes, during which United's Michael Owen was able to net a dramatic winning goal. After signalling that there would be 'at least' (an important phrase which is often lost in the allotment of additional time) 4 minutes added on, City scored their 3rd goal, taking a good 60-90 seconds off the clock, and United made the substitution which saw Carrick replace Anderson (FA rules stipulate that 30 additional seconds must be played for each substitution made). City will be fuming about the time which the referee added on, but it was done by the book, and they should kick themselves, and not the ref, for lacking the concentration to see the game out.

In terms of individual performances, Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher for United were impressive, with the latter continuing to go from strength to strength as the engine of United's midfield. Shay Given too deserves a mention, who made 4 or 5 good saves to deny United during their second half dominance.

United will be relieved then, that their defensive frailties did not cost them what were deserved three points. City will be frustrated at the manner of the defeat, but should take heart from the way in which they acquitted themselves throughout. City have now produced two good performances against both Manchester United and Arsenal, and have proven to themselves and the world that, on their day, they are capable of competing with the big boys. What remains to be seen however, is whether they can stay the course over a 38-game season and really compete for a title. City have attracted a lot of criticism for the way in which they've splashed their cash, but if the new era at the club continues to produce Manchester derbies this electric and this competitive in the coming years, then the Premiership has a lot to look forward to.

Beşiktaş 0 - 1 Man Utd: Player ratings

United's performance would be best described as workmanlike; it was nothing spectacular but it didn't need to be. Sir Alex will leave Istanbul very satisfied, having taken the three points, dodged a potential banana skin, and ticked one of the two long-haul trips his side must take in this group stage off of the fixture list.

Match Ratings:

Ben Foster - 6

Did everything that was asked of him. Looks increasingly confident and commanding with every game at the moment in Edwin Van der Sar's absence.

Patrice Evra - 7

Evra, along with Ashley Cole and Philip Lahm, is currently one of the world's best left backs, and demonstrated why he is so highly rated among United fans tonight. Dangerous going forward in his link-up play with Nani, Evra displayed an assured competence in pushing forward, and always possessed an extra yard of pace to make up for any defensive problems.

Jonny Evans - 7

Evans is incredibly mature for his age and for his position, which typically doesn't see players make the strides that Evans has until later in their twenties. Tonight, Evans was as positionally sound and technically proficient as United fans have come to expect. With Rio still struggling with a number of worrying niggles that he cannot seem to shake off, Evans provides Ferguson with excellent back-up.

Nemanja Vidic - 6

Whenever Rio Ferdinand is absent from the United back four, extra responsibility is bestowed on Vidic, as the communicator and commander of the defensive unit. Vidic struggled with this responsibility tonight, as he so often does without Rio in the side. While Vidic did the things that fans have come to expect of him without fuss tonight, his partnership with Evans needs work (mis-communication between the two almost allowed an unchallenged Marcio Nobre to get on the end of a Nihat cross late on) and too often he looked sluggish and noncommital in his challenges.

Gary Neville - 6

Appearances for the Man United club captain will be at a premium this season, and Neville enjoyed a typically organised and tidy, if not wholly unspectacular 90 minutes at right back.

Nani - 7

The system Ferguson is playing this season requires touchline-hugging wingers to put in the exact kind of shift that Nani put in tonight. Nani is often electric on the ball, and can beat defenders by shifting inside or by bolting for the byline, but he is very much a work in progress with his lack of a footballing brain. Hit a nicely-struck shot which forced the rebound that led to the winning goal.

Paul Scholes - 8

Besiktas were more organised and packed the midfield far more than Spurs on Saturday, which denied Paul Scholes the freedom he enjoyed at the weekend. Given the time and space however, he displayed glimpses of the Scholes of old, and struck a number of beautifully weighted balls out wide to both Nani and Valencia. Good header for the goal too, which was not as much of a tap in as some might suggest; the keeper was back on his feet and was beaten by an accurately struck header.

Michael Carrick - 6

Clearly lacking in confidence, Carrick continued to be a shadow of the player that was often among the first on Sir Alex's team sheet over the past few seasons. Lacking in inspiration on the ball, Carrick must improve his ball retention and rediscover his creative spark if he is to work his way out of Sir Alex's doghouse.

Anderson - 8

Possibly at Michael Carrick's expense, Anderson continued to grow in performance and has seemingly overtaken Carrick in the United midfield pecking order. Anderson displayed good energy, distributed the ball effectively and is really beginning to benefit from a prolonged run in the team. His first goal for the club at Spurs on Saturday will only help build his confidence.

Antonio Valencia - 9

Clearly United's most dangerous player tonight, Valencia terrorised the Besiktas defense with his pace, ball control and movement. The final product may have not been on the money every time, but Valencia provided United with their primary attacking outlet, which provided them with chances and set pieces all night long.

Wayne Rooney - 7

Played up front in an isolated position, Rooney did all the little things which encompassed the unspectacular nature of United's performance. Rooney is not a lone striker, and he was clearly frustrated by playing with his back to goal, but the conservative approach taken by United required someone to sit up the top and occupy the defense, and that's exactly what Rooney did.

Sub 1: Michael Owen - 6...Looked lively, had a couple of half chances that he probably should've slotted away.

Sub 2: Dimitar Berbatov - 6...As usual, his ball retention and technique was second to none and truly world class, but his performances continue to lack any kind of passion or goalscorer's insinct.

Sub 3: Park Ji-Sung - 6...Every team needs a player like Park. Sent on by Ferguson late on to play the simple ball and see the game through.

Referee Nicola Rizzoli - 9

The men in black receive unimaginable flack when they get things wrong, so they deserve a pat on the back when they get things right. Rizzoli was fantastic, and managed the occasion and the atmosphere beautifully. Infinitely better refereeing performance than I can ever remember seeing by any English official.

Besiktas fans - 10

Seriously. Incredible. Providing the crowds behave, and they can be stewarded fairly and efficiently, I am all for atmospheres like this.

Disciplinary disputes: the Adebayor/Eduardo debates, 15/09/09

From Malouda's desperate last-minute winner to Defoe's opening-minute acrobatics at White Hart Lane, last weekend's round of Premiership matches produced some great football, interesting results, and added intrigue to both the top and bottom of the league table. It is sad then that discussions in recent days have centred around issues of controversy, namely the disciplinary issues currently faced by Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo Da Silva.

Emmanuel Adebayor's behaviour against Arsenal at Eastlands on Saturday was quite frankly abhorrent. The Togolese forward was today charged with violent conduct, for his blatant stamp on Van Persie, and improper conduct, following his 90-yard celebratory dash which was deemed to have incited the Arsenal-supporting spectators. The FA must learn from the Eduardo/UEFA debacle however, and stick to the book in banning Adebayor. Anything more than a 3-4 game ban, and they will be making an example out of the striker, and bowing the the excessive criticism that he has faced which, as disgraceful as his behaviour on Saturday was, would be wrong.

Mark Hughes' intentions may be correct in displaying a certain amount of loyalty to his player, but City must be careful in defending such behaviour. It is bad enough that Adebayor's moody and withdrawn performances for Arsenal last term have been rewarded by City with a big money move. Adebayor has always been somewhat enigmatic, and certainly temperamental, yet if they can keep him fit, free of bans and most importantly happy at the club, he could be City's ticket to a top four finish.

Arsenal meanwhile have (or should I now say had?) disciplinary issues of their own, with the controversy surrounding Eduardo's 2-game European ban for diving. Diving has certainly become the ugly side of the modern game, and if the mishandling of the Eduardo situation proves anything, it is that now is the time for both FIFA and UEFA to clearly outline plans of the ways they intend to tackle (excuse the pun), referee and discipline the problem of diving.

I do not condone diving at all, but Eduardo should never have been banned. Although it was clear that Artur Boruc never brought the forward down, a 2-game ban was overly harsh when players all over Europe do the same thing week in, week out and escape the same punishment. The situation was grossly mishandled by UEFA, who bowed to external pressures in punishing the player, and then sent the wrong message out to players in overturning the decision.

Tonight the first group stage of the Champions League kicks off, with every player now knowing that they can cheat and go unpunished. Eradicating cheats from the game is something that can be achieved, but only through UEFA and FIFA working together to take firm, hard-line decisions in order to tackle the diving culture that continues to engulf the game.

Burnley 1 - 0 Man Utd: the Aftermath

Manchester United's sluggishly poor starts in the previous two Premier League seasons seems to have led to them being dubbed "notoriously slow starters", and while Chelsea have had to fight back from 1-0 down to win their first two fixtures, Sir Alex Ferguson's side has spluttered to a 1-0 home victory over Birmingham and now suffered a downright humiliating 1-0 defeat to Owen Coyle's Burnley. In true melodramatic fashion therefore, knee-jerk reactions from fans will call for drastic action, and although Sir Alex will no doubt exude confidence in his team, there are an increasing number of questions that are being asked of his side.

- CR7 Factor

Few people doubt that United were right to sell Cristiano Ronaldo this summer; in hindsight the £80m deal with Real Madrid was actually completed relatively painlessly when one considers the intense nature of the speculation in the preceding months. Ferguson planned to counter the loss of Ronaldo to switching to a more orthodox 4-4-2 system, which would rely on touchline-hugging wingers such as Nani, Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park to provide attacking impetus. The sporadic and inconsistent form of these players however means that United lack the penetration, creativity and the drive that the dynamic Ronaldo generated. This leads to a frustrated Wayne Rooney, which in turn leads to the England frontman losing any kind of discipline and patience as he drifts out of position in search of the ball. In short, United were never going to replace the world's best player, but what they have failed to do in the opening games of the season, is adapt to life without Ronaldo or find any alternatives to the force he provided going forward.

- £100m transfer kitty

The revenue generated from the Ronaldo transfer, when combined with existing available transfer funds, gives Sir Alex Ferguson a transfer kitty of £100m+, which the Board will allow him to spend as he so chooses. Ferguson has been reluctant to enter the transfer market this summer, with big spenders Real Madrid and Man City inflating the transfer market heavily, but despite the manager's insistence that his spending for the summer is done, United look like a side that needs an injection of new blood if it is to battle Chelsea for a fourth consecutive Premier League title. There is plenty of talent available - Sergio Kun Aguero, Franck Ribery, David Silva and David Villa will all have their price - but Ferguson has made it clear in recent years that he invests in character and personality as much as talent, a reason for why United have not pulled the trigger on a deal for Gremio's petulant playmaker Douglas Costa (dubbed the "next Ronaldinho"). Ferguson is right to spend his cash wisely, and in these hardened times it is understandable that he might tighten the purse strings while Madrid and City inflate transfer prices, but United's fans demand the best, and they will not want to sit and watch their rivals in the league and in Europe buying the world's best while Ferguson's squad underperforms.

- The "new Veron"...

is a tag that some fans seem to be attaching to the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov. Much like Veron, Berbatov has produced moments of magic in a United shirt, however not as many as he did at Spurs, and certainly not enough to justify being the club's record signing. For £30.75 million, United thought they were getting a 20-goal striker that would score consistently, when in fact Berbatov has now been at United for a year and scored just 14 goals in 44 appearances. Berbatov's control of the ball is second-to-none, and has the best technique since Dennis Bergkamp, but time and time again he fails to truly influence games from his deep-lying position. Berbatov plays almost as a midfielder at times, and must push forward and dominate by leading the line and scoring goals consistently if he ever wants to justify his hefty record price tag.

- Poor form

Michael Carrick is the engine that drives the heart of the Manchester United team. When Carrick plays poorly, United often struggle, and his poor performances against Burnley last night, and in the Community Shield against Chelsea, are one of the reasons for the disjointed team performances. On his day, Carrick is a great passer of the ball and holds the team together from his central position, however on his lesser days he has a tendency for sloppy play with erratic passing and frequent losing of possession. The likes of Carrick and Anderson must become more consistent and reliable in the middle of the park, as it is sloppiness and a lack of control in these central areas that are most to blame for United's poor start.

- To end on a positive note

Watch out for Darren Fletcher. While all eyes are on Barry, Lampard, Gerrard and Fabregas, over the last 12 months the Scot has made the step up and has developed into a stunning box-to-box midfielder. Tough in the tackle and effective driving forward, Fletcher has grown from an oft-mocked utility fringe player into the first name on Sir Alex's team sheet.

Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal: things I noticed...

- Pre-match expectations.

If this was to be the year that the infallible Top Four was penetrated, consensus opinion prior to today was that Arsenal would be the team to miss out. Arsenal fans this summer have been unnerved by the sales of Kolo Toure and Emanuel Adebayor, the uncertain future of Cesc Fabregas, and the questionable fitness of a number of star players. Arsene Wenger's stubborn transfer policy has also come under question, with Belgian Thomas Vermaelen the only addition thus far in the Summer transfer window. To cut a long story short, there were a lot of questions being asked of Arsenal as they opened their campaign at Goodison Park, which is never an easy place to travel. Fans will be hugely reassured therefore, by the 6-1 demolition that Wenger's side produced away from home, and unless Manchester United can hit Birmingham for 5+ goals tomorrow, Arsenal will be sitting at the top of the Premier League following the first weekend of fixtures.

Where to start?

Going forward, Arsenal were as slick and free-flowing as ever against Everton; the prodigal Cesc Fabregas was superb in linking Arshavin and Bendtner on the flanks with Van Persie up top. It was at the back however, that Arsenal looked as assured as they have in years. If Wenger can keep the partnership of Gallas with Vermaelen together and free of injury, it could hold the key for Arsenal in not only securing a top four finish, but also in challenging for silverware both domestically and in Europe. From front to back, it was an almost flawless performance that made Everton, a side that harbors genuine ambitions for a top 5 finish, look distinctly average.

- On Song

Both Alex Song and Denilson are players that clearly have the confidence of Arsene Wenger, yet have never truly been accepted by the fans in the same vein as other midfielders such as Fabregas and Nasri. Both players have shown glimpses of their undoubted ability, but have been haunted by inconsistency since breaking into the Arsenal first team. Today was arguably Song's finest game in an Arsenal shirt, and could stake a strong claim for today's man-of-the-match. With all the talk of Yaya Toure, Marcos Senna and Daniele De Rossi being the kind of players that Arsenal lack, Alex Song repaid Wenger's faith today with a hugely effective performance picking up loose balls, winning tackles and triggering attacks with his distribution. Denilson also repaid his manager's faith, with a fantastic shot that curled away from goalkeeper Tim Howard to put Arsenal 1-0 up and on their way to victory.

- Wounds to lick.

Under Moyes, Everton have frequently experienced shaky starts and gone on to finish high up the table due to their consistency over the course of the season, so the manager will be quick to reassure his players that there are still 37 games to go and everything to play for. This defeat however was more than just a loss, and the humiliation of a 6-1 opening day defeat at home will serve as a huge mental blow to Moyes' side. While Everton have not become a bad side overnight - the likes of Pienaar and Fellaini showed that they still have the necessary class to compete in the Premiership - the nature of his side's capitulation will worry Moyes. As soon as the first goal went in, Everton forgot the basics and lost any shape and organisation that they held for the first half an hour. Defensively, Everton are usually a solid unit, but looked distracted and uncertain in the face of Arsenal's pass-and-move attacks. The inclusion of Joleon Lescott in the line-up surprised many, after Lescott's apparent admission to Moyes in private that he didn't feel mentally prepared to play, and the defender's body language suggested that Moyes was indeed wrong to play him.

- Business to be done.

It is clear then that Lescott must be sold. Moyes' comments with regards to the manner of Man City's approach for Lescott are admirable, as he digs in his heels in an attempt to fight City off until the close of the transfer window. £20m for a player who cost less than a quarter of that is good business for Everton though, who must seal the deal within the week to ensure that not only the burden of uncertainty is lifted from the squad, but also to enable Moyes to use the money on a replacement. Michael Turner of Hull would fit the bill. Moyes has built his team on signing standout players from lower teams (Lescott from Wolves, Jagielka from Sheffield United and Tim Cahill from Millwall), and Turner has earned a shot at playing for a top half club with his consistent Premiership performances last season.

- You must be Jo-king.

Moyes not only got his selection wrong in playing Lescott, but also in preferring Jo to Louis Saha. While both are similar players, Saha is a player that Everton should always play on the rare occasions that injuries allow him to be made available. Saha is faster, stronger and has a better leap than Jo, who was dominated all game by Arsenal's debutant Vermaelen. Saha staked a claim for a first team place with his late consolation goal, and showed in last May's FA Cup Final what he can do to top class defences when given the service.

- Final thoughts.

Arsenal fans will now be excited about a season that just 24-hours ago they were most probably dreading. They manhandled Everton today without Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky. As with all of the Top Four sides, injuries will be key this season, and Arsenal can look forward to a far more successful season than most expected if they can keep free from injuries. Everton meanwhile must regroup and go back to basics. They can take very few, if any, positives from today's performance, which was horrible in pretty much every way. So long as the uncertainty surrounding Lescott is removed however, and Moyes is able to repair the damage to his team's spirit, there is no reason why Everton cannot achieve great things this season, but to do so they will have to display far more commitment and organisation than they did today.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull City: things I noticed...

- First and foremost: 3pts.

While Carlo Ancelotti continues to reiterate that his Chelsea side need to improve, privately, he'll be very content with his first two competitive matches. Both in last week's Community Shield contest and in today's season opener, Chelsea were not at their best, but they were good enough to leave both occasions with a win. Hull proved to be a much trickier opponent today than Chelsea would have anticipated, but Ancelotti's side was able to overcome the general rust and lack of sharpness which all teams experience at the beginning of the season, and leave Stamford Bridge with 3 points.

- Man of the Match: Didier Drogba.

Today wasn't Drogba's best game for Chelsea, but he showed his class when it mattered. He saw more of the ball than his strike partner Anelka, and he was as dynamic as ever in troubling the Hull defence, but Drogba's performance looked like a first day of the season performance, lacking the razor-like match sharpness that we all know he possesses. After Hull's goal came against the run of play, Drogba's terrific free-kick found the corner of Boaz Myhill's goal, and ensured that Chelsea would go in at half-time level. Chelsea's re-energised second half performance was dominant and committed, yet much like Drogba himself, lacked that clinical edge in finding the winning goal. The Ivorian's ingenius match-winning goal in the 92nd minute had a sense of inevitability about it; a lay-off from substitute Deco found Drogba who defied the acute angle by chipping the ball over Myhill and into the far corner. His questionable temperament has been widely discussed, but in an age when the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Ribery and Kaka are gaining the plaudits from unorthodox, free-roaming wide positions, Didier Drogba remains among the worlds best when it comes to leading the line, unsettling defences and providing that ruthless edge when his side are in need of a goal.

- Diamonds are Forever.

Ancelotti seems determined to make his famed diamond formation fit this Chelsea side, and the players seem to be doing a good job of adapting. However while Mikel, Malouda and Lampard fit into the system relatively seamlessly, Michael Essien showed today, much like in the Community Shield last weekend, that he must adapt to the system more than any of the four midfielders. Sitting on the right side of the diamond requires discipline and awareness, and Essien must be sure to not be tempted to drift inside when his combative instincts kick in. While Hull never looked like seriously challenging the Essien/Bosingwa partnership down the left flank, Nani's impressive first half performance last week showed that it is an area to be exploited if Essien doesn't remain committed to his right-sided duties.

- What a Hunt.

With his brash and often reckless style, Stephen Hunt has something of the Robbie Savage about him. Not that Chelsea had forgotten, but if they needed any reminder of how much they resent Hunt for that challenge on Petr Cech back in October 2006, just 40 seconds into todays match, Hunt flew in with a high boot on Frank Lampard, and was lucky to escape an early card from the referee. Hunt's a talented winger who has the potential to cause problems down the left wing this season, but he must check his aggression to not only save his reputation from further damage, but before he causes any more serious injuries.

- Every cloud...

From Hull City's point of view, they will take positives from this performance. Phil Brown's smirk when the assistant referee signified that there would be 6 additional minutes at the end of play showed that he knew the chances of Chelsea finding a winning goal were high. Following their catastrophic collapse after Christmas last season, many have put Hull among the favourites to be relegated this season. Phil Brown's struggles in the transfer market mean that his squad still lacks the necessary depth, and Hull are likely to face a dog fight for survival this season, but today the manager will be pleased with the organisation and resillience that his side displayed today. Bernard Mendy looked a danger in the air, knocking on a number of balls for lone striker Caleb Folan, while new signing Stephen Hunt was a nuisance on the left wing.

- The Turner Prize.

There were a lot of eyes on Hull defender Michael Turner today; he was the club's Player of the Year for 08-09 and has been linked with a number of clubs over the summer. The defender showed no signs of Second Year Syndrome, though, and for the most part looked solid. Turner is strong in the tackle and good in the air, and will benefit Hull hugely if they can hang onto him until the end of the transfer window.

- Final Thoughts. Hull will be disappointed not to have hung on for a point, but they will take heart from what was a spirited performance. Hull knew that they would have to pack the midfield, stay organised, and hit Chelsea on the counter-attack, and that's exactly what they did, but Chelsea's superior class prevailed, and two moments of individual brilliance from Didier Drogba ultimately decided the match.

Luka Modric: scouting profile

Summary: Following his £16.5 million transfer to Spurs in the summer, all eyes were on Luka Modric at the start of this season. Spurs started disastrously however, and with the tactically naive Juande Ramos as his manager, Modric's play suffered and he was not given the time or the guidance in adapting to the pace of the Premiership. As Harry Redknapp continues to steady the ship however, the hugely talented Modric is beginning to flourish and I expect him to continue to improve between now and the end of the season.


Strengths / Positives:
...Has a natural flair......Good motor and stamina......Gets around the field well......Teriffic passer of the ball......Great vision......Will carve defences open if given space......Skilful on the ball......Has deceptive speed......Is tougher than his slight frame would suggest......Consistently good set-piece taker.

Weaknesses / Negatives:
...Lacks a natural position......Needs to play in the right system to be effective......Likes to spend time on the ball which the Premiership doesn't always allow him......Can be easily pushed off the ball due to his small frame......Should score more goals......Can be easily neutralised by an anchoring, deep-lying midfielder...

Verdict:
Has all the talent in the world and can dominate games in the right system. Haunted by inconsistency however, and is a little one-dimensional when up against combatative midfielders.

8.6 / 10