United Take City In 157th Manchester Derby

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The top two goal-scorers in the English Premier League tangle as Bulgaria international striker DIMITAR BERATOV (9) of Manchester United, who leads the entire circuit with 19 goals, watches Manchester City’s Argentina World Cup attacker CARLOS TEVEZ, scorer of 18 goals in the league this campaign, stumble on the ball during the 157th Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. (Jon Super/AP)
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A sensational as well as memorable overhead bicycle kick goal from England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY a dozen minutes from time settled the 157th Manchester Derby in dramatic fashion as MANCHESTER UNITED defeated cross-town rival MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 to maintain their leadership in the Premier League.

Portugal international NANI, who was sold by CP Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United for the transfer free of 25.5 million Euros (about 21.6 million English pounds) in June of 2007, had put the Red Devils ahead shortly before the halftime break. The 24-year-old winger accepted a smooth pass from the ageless Wales international midfielder RYAN GIGGS and calmly slotted past Manchester City’s England international goalkeeper JOE HART in the 41st minute. The infulential Nani, who also boasts 10 assists this season, now counts nine goals in the English top flight for Manchester United this term.

On the hour mark, Manchester City’s Italian manager ROBERTO MANCINI sent on Bosnia / Herzegovina international striker EDIN DZEKO, the recent purchase of 27.0 million English pounds from German Bundesliga club Vfl Wolfsburg, in an attempt to even the score. The move paid dividends when Dzeko’s shot deflected off the back of Spain World Cup winger DAVID SILVA and past Manchester United’s veteran Holland international goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR. Though big-money acquisition has still yet to score a goal after five games now for his new employers, Manchester City were level nevertheless.

And so, with a cross from Nani, it was left for a resurgent Rooney to score a truly astonishing and brilliant goal that surely must rank amongst the greatest strikes of all-time in the history of football anywhere across the globe.

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Wales international midfielder GARETH BARRY of Manchester City climbs the back of Manchester United’s Brazil international midfielder ANDERSON (8) during the closely-contested 157th Manchester Derby at Old Trafford in the northwest of England. (Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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MANCHESTER UNITED : van der Sar – Evra, Vidic, Smalling, O’Shea – Giggs, Anderson (Berbatov 67′), Scholes (Carrick 79′), Fletcher, Nani – Rooney

MANCHESTER CITY : Hart – Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, Richards – Silva, Kolarov (Wright-Phillips 53′), Y. Toure, Barry, Milner (Dzeko 60′) – Tevez

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(Darren Staples/Reuters)
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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Darren Staples/Reuters)
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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Darren Staples/Reuters)

Rooney Rides Bike With Spectacular Result

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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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Under fire in some quarters having scored just four goals entering the monster Manchester Derby, England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY could not have picked a more meaningful occasion and circumstance to continue his return to goal-scoring form, nor in such spectacular fashion, as well.

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(Jon Super/Reuters)
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Indeed, a sensational overhead bicycle kick by a resurgent Rooney left England international goalkeeper JOE HART absolutely helpless and lifted Manchester United to an important 2-1 Premier League triumph in the always entertaining intra-city derby with cross-town rivals Manchester City.

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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Manchester Derby match-winner was Rooney’s fifth goal in the English top flight this season. Four of the embattled England international attacker’s five tallies have arrived after the New Year. A season ago, of course, the Manchester United striker finished second in all the Premier League with a total of 26 goals in 32 games.

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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Darren Staples/Reuters)
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Battle Between The Sticks : Hart and Van Der Sar

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Holland international goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR, who holds the national record with 130 caps for his country and is set to retire at the end of this season, will play his final intra-city derby match for Manchester United on Saturday opposite cross-town rival Manchester City at Old Trafford in the northwest of England. (football-news.com)
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Goalkeeping, as can be expected in a match of such magnitude, figures to play another prominent role in the 157th Manchester Derby at Old Trafford on Saturday; in the first intra-city contest of the season earlier this past November, neither Manchester City nor Manchester United could solve either netminder as the cross-town rivals battled to a 0-0 draw.

Holland international EDWIN VAN DER SAR is hunting one last Premier League title for Manchester United in his final season of professional football. The 40-year-old shot stopper has started all but two of Manchester United’s 25 matches in the top flight this season, a sixth for the Red Devils following a transfer worth a reported 2.0 million English pounds from London club FC Fulham. The Dutchman, of course, made a pivotal stop from the free kick of Argentina World Cup striker CALOS TEVEZ during Manchester United’s last derby match with Manchester City.

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Holland international goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR of Manchester United dives to keep the free kick of Manchester City’s Argentina World Cup striker CARLOS TEVEZ (32) out of the net during the 156th Manchester Derby which ended in a scoreless draw this past November at the City of Manchester Stadium in the northwest of England. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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In the Premier League this season, van der Sar has registered a save percentage of 69.44 %, which is down from last season although the Dutchman did play just 21 games in the English top flight a season ago.

Besides, in a big match such as the Manchester Derby, the considerable experience of the highly-decorated and well-traveled van der Sar is immeasurable to the Red Devils of manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Holland international goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR (1) of Manchester United moves to stop the spot kick of Manchester City’s England international striker DARIUS VASSEL (11) during the Red Devils’ 1-0 victory in the intra-city derby from May of 2007 at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Manchester City goalkeeper JOE HART, who was number three on the depth chart and did not get a game for the Three Lions at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa this past summer, is now regarded as England’s first choice and viewed by many as one of the top young netminders in the world. (Nigel Roddis/Reuters)
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23-year-old England international JOE HART has certainly proved his worth after displacing veteran Republic of Ireland international SHAY GIVEN as the Manchester City first choice at the start of this 2010-11 season.

Hart has turned aside 83 shots for an impressive save percentage of 79.05 % while appearing in all 26 Premier League matches for Manchester City’s Italian manager ROBERTO MANCINI. A year ago, while out on loan at Birmingham City, the former England U-21 international finished among the top goalkeepers in the top flight with a save percentage of 76.27%. The 34-year-old Given, who has played 110 times for Ireland in his career, stopped 70 % of the shots-on-target during his 35 games for Manchester City in the Premier League last season.

Given was acquired by Manchester City in Feburary of 2009 from Newcastle United for the transfer fee of 5.9 million English pounds; Hart, in contrast, was originally purchased from Shrewsbury Town in May of 2006 for just 600,000 English pounds.

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(Dylan Martinez/Reuters)
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(epltalk.com)

Man Utd : Season Stats

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Bulgaria international DIMITAR BERBATOV (9), the one-time Bayer Leverkusen striker who was bought by Manchester United from London club Tottenham Hotspur for a transfer fee of 30.75 million English pounds in September of 2008, is enjoying his finest of five Premier League seasons and leads the entire top flight with 19 goals for the Red Devils this term. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
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MANCHESTER UNITED
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League
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GK : Van der Sar 23/23, Kuszczak 2/2

DF : Vidic 25/25, Evra 24/24, Ferdinand 15/15, Rafael 14/13, O’Shea 12/11, Evans 8/7, Smalling 6/3, Brown 5/2, * Neville 3/3, Fabio 2/0

MF : Fletcher 21/20, Nani 21/20, Carrick 17/14, Giggs 16/12, Scholes 15/10, Anderson 12/8, Park 11/9, Gibson 8/3, Valencia 2/2, Hargreaves 1/1

ST : Berbatov 22/21, Hernandez 17/7, Rooney 16/14, Obertan 7/3, * Macheda 7/2, Owen 6/1, Bebe 2/0

goals ——— Berbatov 19, Nani 8, Hernandez 7, Park 4, Rooney 4, Vidic 4, Fletcher 2, Giggs 2, Evra 1, * Macheda 1, Owen 1, Scholes 1

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(Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

Manchester Derby : City v United, The All-Time Record

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England World Cup midfielder JAMES MILNER of Manchester City tackles the ball from Manchester United’s Bulgaria international striker DIMITAR BERBATOV (9), who currently leads the Barclays Premier League with 19 goals this season, during the scoreless intra-city derby played this past November at the City of Manchester Stadium in the northwest of England. (Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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Manchester Derby
MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED
all-time record

League ————— 57 Man Utd, 37 Man City, 49 tied
FA Cup —————- 5 Man Utd, 2 Man City
League Cup ———- 3 Man City, 2 Man Utd, 1 tie
Charity Shield —— 1 Man Utd

TOTAL ————- 65 Man Utd, 42 Man City, 50 drawn matches

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(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Dalglish Denied Dream Start In FA Cup At Old Trafford

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Spain World Cup champion striker FERNANDO TORRES (9) of FC Liverpool, who scored 18 goals in 22 Premier League matches for the Reds last season but has slumped to six goals from 19 league contests this term, struggles to cope with Manchester United’s Northern Ireland international defender JONNY EVANS (23) in a chase for the ball during the exciting FA Cup match at storied Old Trafford in northern England. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
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Aging Wales international winger RYAN GIGGS converted a controversial penalty kick in only the second minute and England World Cup midfielder STEVEN GERRARD was sent off just after the half hour mark as MANCHESTER UNITED defeated FC LIVERPOOL 1-0 in the third round of the prestigous Football Assocation Cup at historic Old Trafford.

The 37-year-old Giggs, who has started just 11 of Manchester United’s 30 matches this season, scored his second goal in all competitions this term for the Red Devils from the penalty spot after Bulgaria international striker DIMITAR BERBATOV was judged by match referee HOWARD WEBB to have been fouled by Liverpool’s Denmark World Cup defender DANIEL AGGER.

Meanwhile, Gerrard was shown a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Manchester United’s England international midfielder MICHAEL CARRICK in the 32nd minute.

Liverpool might have had an equalizer in the 65th minute, but Manchester United’s deputy goalkeeper, the Poland international TOMASZ KUSZCZAK, kept out the well-struck free kick from Liverpool’s veteran Brazilian defender FABIO AURELIO.

“It was a mark of the poverty of FERNANDO TORRES’ performance that he was replaced by (Liverpool’s new manager Kenny) Dalglish on 77 minutes.” — The Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk)

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Spain World Cup reserve goalkeeper PEPE REINA of FC Liverpool, who has stopped an unimpressive 64.0 % of the shots on target against him in the Premier League this season, punches the ball away from Manchester United’s Mexico international striker JAVIER HERNANDEZ (14) in heavy traffic at Old Trafford. (PA/dailymail.co.uk)
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MANCHESTER UNITED : Kuszczak – Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans (Smalling 84′), Evra – Nani, Fletcher (Anderson 62′), Carrick, Giggs – Berbatov, Hernandez (Owen 75′)

FC LIVERPOOL : Reina – Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio – Lucas – Kuyt, Gerrard, Meireles (Shelvey 60′), Rodriguez (Babel 60′) – Torres (Ngog 77′)

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(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Manchester United Park On Top

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Seemingly surrounded by a trio of FC Arsenal defenders, South Korea World Cup winger JI-SUNG PARK (13) positions his body to send a looping header on goal in the 41st minute of the critical Premier League match at Old Trafford in the northwest of England. (PA/dailymail.co)
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A solitary goal towards the end of the first half and solid work in between the sticks secured MANCHESTER UNITED a 1-0 win over FC ARSENAL and first place in the English Premier League.

South Korea World Cup winger JI-SUNG PARK, who has started exactly half of Manchester United’s league games this term, headed the only goal the Red Devils would require after a right wing cross from Portugal international NANI.

Park, who has been commanding a regular place in the first team for Manchester United since a pair of goals against Wolverhampton Wolves in early November, now counts four goals in the Premier League and six, overall, in all competitions for the Red Devils this 2010-11 season.

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(Jon Super/AP)
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Arsenal’s French manager ARSENE WEGNER gave a Premier League debut in goal to 20-year-old WOJCIECH SZCZESNY. The Poland international with one cap had played exactly twice in the Carling League Cup for the London club this season entering the match with Manchester United. In all, the youngster did well but was unable to keep out Park’s header.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old Holland international EDWIN VAN DER SAR, with a little help from Serbia World Cup defender NEMANJA VIDIC, turned in a clean sheet for Manchester United, who remain the only unbeaten side in all the Premiership.

Manchester United’s WAYNE ROONEY had a glorious opportunity to double the Red Devils’ advantage in the 74th minute; the England World Cup striker, however, hammered his shot over the crossbar as his struggles to score goals continue unabated.

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(Jon Super/AP)
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MANCHESTER UNITED : van der Sar – Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra – Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Giggs 85′) – Nani, Rooney, Park

FC ARSENAL : Szczesny – Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy – Song, Rosicky (Fabregas 64′), Wilshere (van Persie 64′), Nasri – Arshavin (Walcott 77′) – Chamakh

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(PA/dailymail.co.uk)

Rooney’s Penalty Failure Photo Gallery

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England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY (10) of Manchester United, with just a solitary goal so far in the top flight this season, strikes the ball from the penalty spot during the all-important Premier League clash with FC Arsenal at Old Trafford. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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Oh dear…a dreadful spot kick, then, from Manchester United WAYNE ROONEY in the big clash with FC Arsenal on Monday night at Old Trafford.

Fortunately for Roo, the Red Devils were already leading 1-0 when the England World Cup striker blasted his effort over the bar with a 20-year-old in his first-ever Premier League start standing between the sticks for FC Arsenal.

And so, a season to forget for the 25-year-old forward continues as Christmas approaches.

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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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(Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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(PA/dailymail.co.uk)

Top Of Table Tussle : Manchester United v Arsenal

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Manchester United veteran goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR, who is the Netherlands’ most capped player ever with 130 senior international appearances, has played, to date, 168 Premier League games for the Red Devils since moving from London-based Fulham Athletic for a reported transfer fee of 2.0 million English pounds in June of 2005. (Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
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One thing the blog always looks at ahead of a big football match at any level would be the goalkeepers involved. Specifically, the experience and resumes of the shot-stoppers expected to be deployed between the sticks by the two clubs. In that regard, Manchester United has a huge advantage over Arsenal as the top two teams in the English Premier League set to meet at Old Trafford on Monday.

40-year-old goalkeeper EDWIN VAN DER SAR of Manchester United has already collected three Premier League championship medals with the Red Devils and, certainly, one more English title would be a fine way to close out a highly distinguished and successful career.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Poland international LUKASZ FABIANSKI, who has 18 caps for his country under his belt, took over from Spaniard MANUEL ALMUNIA as first choice for FC Arsenal only this past Septmber after signing from Legia Warsaw for a reported transfer fee of 2.0 English pounds in May of 2007.

Arsenal currently top the Premier League table with 32 points from 16 matches. Manchester City won at West Ham United in East London on Saturday to move into second on 32 points from 17 games. Sitting in third place are Manchester United, the only side yet to suffer defeat in the Premiership this season, with 31 points after 15 league games.

Aside from the role goalkeeping will play, there are many questions to be answered as Arsenal and Manchester United clash at Old Trafford…

For starters, what impact is England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY, with just one goal in the Premier League thus far this season, to have, if any, on the game for the Red Devils?

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MANCHESTER UNITED
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Premiership : games/starts
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GK : VAN DER SAR 15/15

DF : VIDIC 15/15, EVRA 14/14, O’SHEA 10/9, FERDINAND 9/9, EVANS 7/6, RAFAEL 7/6, BROWN 5/2, NEVILLE 2/2, SMALLING 2/0

MF : NANI 14/13, FLETCHER 13/13, SCHOLES 13/9, PARK 9/7, CARRICK 8/6, GIGGS 7/5, ANDERSON 4/3, VALENCIA 2/2, GIBSON 2/0, HARGREAVES 1/1

ST : BERBATOV 13/12, HERNANDEZ 10/6, ROONEY 7/5, MACHEDA 6/2, OBERTAN 6/2, OWEN 4/1, BEBE 2/0

goals — Berbatov 11, Nani 5, Hernandez 4, Park 3, Vidic 3, Fletcher 2, Evra 1, Giggs 1, Macheda 1, Owen 1, Rooney 1, Scholes 1

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FC ARSENAL
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Premiership : games/starts
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GK : FABIANSKI 10/10, ALMUNIA 6/6

DF : CLICHY 15/15, SAGNA 14/14, SQUILLACI 13/13, KOSCIELNY 11/11, DJOUROU 6/4, VERMAELEN 3/3, GIBBS 2/1

MF : ARSHAVIN 16/15, SONG 15/15, ROSICKY 14/5, NASRI 13/12, WILSHERE 13/11, FABREGAS 10/8, DENILSON 8/3, DIABY 7/6, EBOUE 6/4, EMMANUEL-THOMAS 1/0

ST : CHAMAKH 16/15, WALCOTT 8/3, VAN PERSIE 6/1, BENDTNER 5/0, VELA 4/0

goals — Nasri 8, Chamakh 7, Walcott 4, Arshavin 3, Song 3, Fabregas 2, Bendtner 1, Diaby 1, Koscielny 1, Sagna 1, Vela 1, Wilshere 1

Manchester United 1 – CF Valencia 1

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Brazil international midfielder ANDERSON (8) of Manchester United, who cost a reported 30.0 million Euros to acquire according to Portuguese club FC Porto in late May of 2007 but has only three starts and four overall appearances for the Red Devils in the Premier League this season, is pursued by Spain international winger PABLO HERNANDEZ (19) at Old Trafford in the northwest of England. (Jon Super/AP)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
12/7/2010

1 – Manchester United (ENG) ——— Anderson 62′
1 – CF Valencia (SPA) ——————— Pablo 32′

A goal on each side of the break by teams already having booked passage into the knockout round brought a 1-1 between visiting Spanish La Liga side CF VALENCIA and English Premier League host MANCHESTER UNITED in Group C of the UEFA Champions League.

As has been pretty much the case so far this season, SIR ALEX FERGUSON put out a side comprised predominantly of second-stringers for Manchester United. For the final match at the group stage in the UEFA Champions League,the Red Devils deployed third choice goalkeeper, BEN AMOS, against CF Valenica. Thus, a European debut for the 20-year-old Amos, whose only other start this season was against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carling League Cup on October 26.

In the 32nd minute, the youngster was formally welcomed to top-shelf European professional football by Spain international winger PABLO HERNANDEZ.

England international midfielder MICHAEL CARRICK of Manchester United had his poor decision easily intercepted in his own half by Argentine CHORI DOMINGUEZ of CF Valencia. The 29-year-old attacker, who moved to Spain from Russian club FC Rubin Kazan twelve months ago, drove straight at the Red Devil defense and then intelligently provided for Pablo. The 25-year-old winger proceeded to shoot clean through the wickets of the novice goalkeeper for his second goal in Europe and fourth overall for CF Valencia this term.

The concession was Manchester United’s first in the UEFA Champions League in six games this season.

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After winning the aerial duel with Portugal World Cup defender RICARDO COSTA (20) of CF Valenica, Manchester United’s Bulgaria international striker DIMITAR BERBATOV, who leads the Red Devils with 11 goals in the Premier League this season, sees his effort headed straight at visiting Spanish goalkeeper VICENTE GUAITA (13) at Old Trafford. (Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)
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At the other end, visiting CF Valencia’s third choice goalkeeper, VICENTE GUAITA, was managing quite nicely in his first-ever Champions League start. The 23-year-old did come on as a substitute against Turkish club KD Bursaspor on November 24 and has been standing in for the La Liga side since. Guaita made several saves and even denied Bulgaria international DIMITAR BERBATOV in a one-one-one situtation with a brilliant play to sweep the ball off the feet of Manchester United’s leading goal-scorer this season.

But England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY, who has played just eight games with only two goals for Manchester United in all competitons so far, announced his presence by hitting the post in the first half; Portugal international winger NANI sent the rebound just wide for the Red Devils.

And Guaita, himself, made a mistake shortly after the hour for which the Red Devils would make him pay dear.

The Spanish goalkeeper failed to steer the ball away when stopping the shot of Manchester United’s South Korea winger PARK JI-SUNG and Brazil international midfielder ANDERSON, who has not appeared much in the Premier League but has started half of the Red Devils’ European dates this term, was on hand to score his first goal of the year.

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CF Valenica third-choice goalkeeper VICENTE GUAITA expertly pokes the ball away from Bulgaria international DIMITAR BERBATOV (9) after the Manchester United striker, still looking for a goal in the UEFA Champions League this season, had burst clear into the box at Old Trafford. (Jon Super/AP)
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MANCHESTER UNITED : Amos – Rafael, Ferdinand (Smalling 50′), Vidic, Fabio – Nani (Giggs 81′), Carrick, Anderson (Fletcher 89′), Park – Berbatov, Rooney

CF VALENCIA : Guaita – Miguel, Ricardo Costa, Dealbert, Mathieu – Pablo (Feghouli 81′), Banega, Albelda, Alba (Mata 68′) – Dominguez (Isco 54′) – Aduriz

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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Phil Noble/Reuters)
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