- Blackburn boss Mark Hughes
Last sunday’s firecracker of a game was enough to send the Rovers a strong message that the Reds rule. And there can be so many other reasons to pin out as to the reason of the spectacular defeat. Mark Hughes thought that the referee Chris Foy robbed his team’s chance of victory, when the latter sent off Rovers midfielder David Dunn in the 53rd minute.
“But it wasn’t a really poor tackle or a violent challenge. I felt Dunn was also unlucky to get booked in the first half. We feel a little bit harshly done by because we weren’t able to show just what a good team we are. Unfortunately the game was taken away from us.”Mark Hughes conceded.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sucker punch of two goals in two minutes did to Blackburn Rovers what Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all failed to do against Mark Hughes’ side this entire season. The 2-0 win puts the Reds three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, although Arsenal play Reading on Monday. There aren’t many sterner tests – physically and in a football sense – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying side. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when David Dunn was somewhat harshly dismissed early in the second half, it was game over.
Sir Alex had got Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Anderson back into the team. And with Wayne Rooney on the sidelines with an ankle injury, the Reds’ boss called on Louis Saha for his first league start of the season.
However, there were some threatening moments, too. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Hughes’ men were a force to be reckoned with. Just before the 15-minute mark, Patrice Evra cleared the ball after a frenzied scramble in the box. Then five minutes later they hit the woodwork. Ronaldo was fouled on the edge of the area by David Dunn, but referee Chris Foy waved play on. The Reds were caught off guard and Christopher Samba Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul in the centre circle. After the unpunished foul on Ronaldo, United’s players were incensed, and the incident roused the Old Trafford crowd. United pushed forward and from a corner Ronaldo’s left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Dunn. As Blackburn so often do at Old Trafford, they were frustrating the Reds. But Sir Alex’s side are resolute in finding a way through and would not submit to the suffocating resistance Blackburn use to strong effect. With 12 minutes of the half remaining, Ronaldo climbed above Aaron Mokoena inside the area and directed his header past David Bentley on the post.
He followed it up with a quick-fire second from a rapid breakaway Reds counter attack. Saha retrieved the ball in midfield and fed it to Tevez, who surged forward and curled a pass round the last defender with the outside of his boot, leaving Ronaldo to side-foot the ball past Friedel.
Blackburn’s task was made all the more difficult early in the second half when they were reduced to 10 men. Dunn was shown his second yellow card for a late challenge on Saha after earlier being booked for tugging Tevez’s shirt. The two incidents barely warranted an early bath and Hughes was furious with the decision. With one less player standing in his way, Ronaldo went in search of his first United hat-trick. And he almost found it after an hour. Shifting the ball quickly onto his left, he struck a rasping 20-yard shot a matter of millimetres past the post.
With two minutes remaining, Blackburn had one of their best chances to make an impression on the scoreline, but even then the Reds were switched on and alert. Rovers’ tall centre-half Samba headed the ball goalwards. Van der Sar saved the ball on the line, but Evra needed to think quickly to clear the loose ball, which he did, skipping away from danger and blasting the ball way off clear.
United looked slick in possession and quickly moved into cruise control to see out the 2-0 win, which proved more straightforward than many had predicted. Blackburn will feel they were robbed of the chance to challenge United’s 2-0 lead after Dunn’s sending off. But there can be no grievances with the way the Reds took them apart with two first-half goals that punctured their hopes of adding United to a growing list of clubs that have tripped up against them. Make no mistake, this is a big win. And with United now on a run of 10 matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is something to watch out for.
The teams had tied 1-1 at Wembley after 90 minutes before going straight to the shootout.
Van Der Sar saved penalties from Claudio Pizarro, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech failed to get near any of the United shots from Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney. “I was 5-2 down in penalty shootouts in my career so this makes it 5-3,” Van Der Sar said. “We deserved it. We played the better football, we had more chances than them.”
This is the record 16th time United has either won or shared the English season opener between the league champions and FA Cup holders, which does not count in the Premier League standings. Before the introduction of shootouts in 1993, teams held the title for six months each after draws.
Ryan Giggs had put United in the lead in the 35th minute before Florent Malouda made it 1-1 in the 45th.
The regular season starts next week. The same two teams played in the FA Cup final three months ago, with Chelsea winning 1-0 at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium.
“It’s a little revenge for the cup final and it’s a good start for the league for us,” Van Der Sar said.
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