Showing posts with label David Moyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Moyes. Show all posts
Robin van Persie's Manchester United debut proved a chastening experience as Everton, inspired by a majestic performance from Marouane Fellaini, opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.
The Dutchman was restricted to a place on the United bench following his £24 million move from Arsenal and prior to his introduction on 68 minutes the vantage point offered him an excellent view as Fellaini enthusiastically and ruthlessly laid waste to a brittle and vulnerable United defence.
A spate of injuries forced United to pit Michael Carrick against the Belgium international but it was not just the makeshift defender that Fellaini terrorised: few players in a United shirt were left untouched by a bruising display of physicality and technical ability that took the game away from the visitors and decisively towards Everton.
It was fitting that Fellaini scored the winner after 57 minutes, and so too was the manner in which he beat David De Gea, brushing Carrick aside to power home a header that ensured United's first defeat in their opening league fixture since 2004.
Only twice in the history of the Premier League has a team lost their first match and gone on to win the title.
Citing Van Persie's lack of football since Euro 2012, Ferguson opted to leave his new signing on the bench but Shinji Kagawa - whose arrival has been overshadowed by that of the former Arsenal captain - was given his Premier League debut, playing in front of Tom Cleverley and Paul Scholes.
At 37 years and 278 days old, Scholes was the oldest outfield player to have appeared in the opening round of Premier League fixtures and he soon demonstrated that none of the famous facets of his game have dulled with his advancing years as he linked up nicely with his team-mates, went close with one volley from outside the box and earned a yellow card for a horrible challenge on former United man Darron Gibson.
Still, Scholes and his two midfield cohorts were comprehensively dominated by an outstanding performance from Fellaini, as the big Belgian picked up from where he left off in the 4-4 draw between the two sides at Old Trafford last season that effectively ended United's title aspirations.
His masterful display unsettled United with regularity and as early as 15 minutes he struck the post from a tight angle after escaping the clutches of makeshift defenders Antonio Valencia and Carrick all too easily.
Fellaini then clattered into De Gea from a corner, an incident that early last season may have left the young Spaniard disorientated and reticent. However, the United keeper responded to the challenge and was his side's outstanding player.
After 24 minutes the Spaniard was forced to tip over an opportunistic header from Steven Pienaar from a corner having already repelled a low effort from Nikica Jelavic in the move that led to the set-piece; later he looked on helplessly as Fellaini found space once again, produced an outrageous piece of control to pull down a cross at the back post and spin in one swift movement before thumping his shot wide on the turn.
United threatened only sporadically. But Kagawa's debut was promising - the Japan international replicating the fluidity of movement and deftness of touch that made him such a resounding success at Borussia Dortmund, and on one occasion teeing up Wayne Rooney for a header that went wide with a gorgeous floated cross.
The visitors were struggling to turn possession into chances, even if Rooney saw one good free-kick turned around the post and should have scored when drilling a shot at Tim Howard from 10 yards.
However, the first half continued to mould itself around the figures of Fellaini and De Gea: while Everton's midfield juggernaut continued to swat opponents aside with contemptuous ease and continually punch holes in the visiting defence, the United keeper responded admirably by denying Pienaar and Leon Osman with two tremendous stops, before topping even those efforts when stretching out his right arm to paw at a Leighton Baines free-kick that was destined for the top corner.
Having presumably spent a decent portion of the half-time team talk discussing coping strategies for Fellaini, United were once again left helpless just four minutes into the second half.
Fellaini started the move as Everton shifted the ball wide to Tony Hibbert and then charged into the box to jump above Nemanja Vidic and head the ball down to Osman, who connected well with his volley but saw the ball cannon off the underside of the bar.
United broke immediately, and only a desperate challenge from Phil Jagielka prevented Danny Welbeck from testing Howard following another neat through-ball from Kagawa. But there was no mistaking the most influential man on the night, and on 57 minutes Fellaini scored the goal his efforts more than merited.
Baines delivered a fine corner from the right and, exploiting once again the fact that United had put Carrick up against him from set-pieces, Fellaini rose above his marker - beaten and broken in the presence of the Belgian - to thump a header past De Gea in the United goal.
Cleverley saw an effort cleared off the line by Jagielka following a cute lay-off from Kagawa but with United struggling for a consistent threat, Van Persie was introduced after 68 minutes in place of Welbeck, the Dutchman's arrival seemingly convincing Everton to sit back on their lead.
With 10 minutes remaining, Van Persie collected the ball to the right of the box and slipped a sumptuous pass through the legs of Sylvain Distin to try and find Kawaga square. However, Howard raced off his line quickly to put the Japan international off and deflect the ball over the bar. It was perhaps the brightest moment from the Dutchman in a rather subdued performance.
Everton invited pressure late on but Jagielka led a fine defensive performance as United proved unable to open up the home side. Fellaini and Everton departed with the three points they so richly deserved.
Arsenal ensured their 125th birthday celebrations were marked with a victory when defeating Everton 1-0 at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League thanks to a goal of outstanding beauty from Robin van Persie.
Just a day after the club unveiled statues of Herbert Chapman, Tony Adams and Thierry Henry outside their ground, Van Persie demonstrated why he may one day attain legendary status of his own in Islington with his 15th and best league goal of a wonderful season.
With Arsenal's record goalscorer Henry looking on and applauding from the stands, Van Persie settled the encounter against an Everton side that had retreated into a 4-6-0 formation when converting a stunning volley after 70 minutes that is unlikely to be bettered in Arsenal's 126th year.
Arsenal's seventh victory in eight league games takes the resurgent Gunners into fourth place above Chelsea, while Everton, who have now lost eight of 11 matches in all competitions, sit in 12th, five points above the bottom three.
The home side avoided the temptation to pay further tribute to former boss Chapman by lining up in his famous W-M formation, but the backline did have a rather old-fashioned look to it with four centre-backs being deployed due to injury problems at full-back.
Everton had a more familiar look about them and were mostly successful in stifling Arsenal in a first half in North London that boasted few genuine chances. However, David Moyes' side did create the first opening of the game after 12 minutes.
Marouane Fellaini sprayed the ball wide to Leighton Baines, who won a corner off makeshift right-back Johan Djourou. Tim Cahill swung wildly at Baines's delivery before the ball fell to Louis Saha, who saw his low effort blocked by a sea of red shirts.
On 15 minutes Arsenal should really have taken the lead and it was Mikel Arteta, plucked from Everton on transfer deadline day, who started the move against his former side. The midfielder robbed Fellaini before releasing Theo Walcott with a sliding pass. The forward had a clear opportunity to shoot when one-on-one with Tim Howard but instead opted to square for Gervinho, who first missed the ball and then saw a follow-up chance saved by Howard.
It was then Aaron Ramsey's turn to spurn a good opportunity. Alex Song was the creator, finding the Welshman with a neat pass, but after checking back in the box to leave Howard on the floor, the Arsenal man lifted his shot over the bar when really he should have scored.
Gervinho was the next to threaten the Everton goal, seeing a low effort repelled expertly by Howard after finding space on the right of the box, but aside from a wild volley that Saha blasted wide in the closing stages, the remainder of the half passed without incident.
Arsenal applied pressure in the second half but continued to be frustrated by the visitors from Merseyside. The usually-prolific Van Persie was having an atypical afternoon and rather than shooting himself after collecting a fine pass from Song he found Thomas Vermaelen with a cut-back before the defender fired off target.
The Dutchman was well-placed on 54 minutes to meet a mis-hit volley from Walcott in front of goal but the ball had just too much pace on it and Van Persie was unable to turn it on target when getting his toe to the ball.
Walcott blew hot and cold in his usual fashion but almost created the opener on 57 minutes. The England man stretched out a leg to take a pass from Ramsey on the run, nipped away from Baines and forced Howard into a smart save at his near post with a firm effort.
On 64 minutes Moyes made an overwhelmingly negative substitution as Saha was withdrawn from his role as a lone striker and replaced by Sylvain Distin, leaving Everton without a forward. Counter-intuitively, they subsequently enjoyed a brief flicker of threat as Phil Neville curled an effort just over and Fellaini thrashed a shot off target.
However, normal service was resumed on 70 minutes when Van Persie scored a goal of astonishing quality. Song spotted the Dutchman making a run into the box and lofted a pass into his path. Van Persie struck the ball in the air, his impeccable technique ensuring his left-footed volley flew in off the inside of the far post.
Everton responded by making two changes as Magaye Gueye and debutant Conor McAleny entered the fray, with both young players making an impact in the closing stages. Gueye drove an angled shot wide of the post and McAleny almost scored with a volley that Van Persie would have been proud of, but saw his effort fly narrowly wide.
It was a brief, late rally from a side that had so lamentably surrendered any attacking intent when replacing Saha, and not enough to knock Arsenal off their stride as they started their 126th year in the desired fashion.
Ayegbeni Yakubu's 67th minute strike was enough for Everton to see off a resilient Stoke City side 1-0 in the Premier League at Goodison Park.
The ball fell to the Nigerian striker after a 20-yard Tim Cahill strike smacked the foot of Asmir Begovic's left post. Showing a good level of composure, Yakubu proceeded to cut inside before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from six yards out.
The game itself was a largely scrappy affair, with Stoke seeking to stifle the progress of their opponents at every given opportunity.
Robert Huth, Abdoulaye Faye and Ryan Shawcross were pillars at the back for Tony Pulis' men. So much so, in fact, that the relief around Goodison was clear for all to see following Yakubu's strike.
Up until then, The Toffees' midfield trio of Cahill, Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta had been restricted to tame long-range efforts at the Stoke goal. This, despite the fact that Leighton Baines and Phil Neville had been given license to roam and attack deep down both flanks, as Stoke looked to pack players into the middle of the pitch.
First, Pienaar striked from a central position in the 25th minute, which Asmir Begovic was able to gather cleanly while moving to his right. Then, eight minutes later, Cahill attempted something similar from around 35 yards out with his drive flying high and wide of goal.
It was testament to Stoke's resilience, as Tony Pulis' men - particularly in the first half - restricted The Toffees by congesting the midfield and getting, at times, nine men behind the ball with Kenwyne Jones positioned as the lone target man, designed to latch onto any long balls from the back.
As the frustration of Everton, and the Goodison Park faithful, began to grow, Stoke slowly gathered momentum and arguably had the better of the chances before half-time.
A mix-up in The Toffees defence inside the first ten minutes presented Jones with a turn and strike on goal. However, the Trinidad and Tobagan didn't catch the ball cleanly and sliced his effort beyond Tim Howard's posts.
Then, moments before half-time, a whipped Matthew Etherington delivery came through a host of Everton players to Abdoulaye Faye arriving at the back post. However, the Senegalese defender's surprise at being presented with the opportunity was clear for all to see as he dragged his shot wide of goal.
Into the second-half, and it was again Everton who looked the more nervous of the two teams, with Sanli Tuncay having a goal harshly disallowed on the hour-mark, after being accused of pushing Baines when converting a Huth knock-down.
That, however, seemed to spur Everton into life and, following Yakubu's moment of glory, David Moyes' men initially began to get into their stride.
Everton midfielder Dan Gosling has been ruled out for up to nine months with a knee injury, the club have confirmed.
The 20-year-old was hurt in a collision with Wolves goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann late in Saturday's goalless Premier League draw at Molineux.
Physio Mick Rathbone told the club's website: "Our worst fears have been confirmed. Dan has ruptured his cruciate ligament and will unfortunately be out for up to nine months."
Gosling had been enjoying a breakout season with the Toffees, making 17 appearances and scoring three goals.
He also made his debut for the England U21 side with a substitute appearance against Portugal.
"I'm really disappointed for Dan," said Everton manager David Moyes.
"He's been making great progress here at Everton and we look forward to having him back as soon as possible."
