Report: Everton 0 United 1

Barclays Premier League
Goodison Park, Sat 15 September

EVERTON 0

MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Vidic (83)

Hard-fought, patient and determined; all qualities needed in United’s performance at Goodison Park on Saturday, encapsulated by the Reds’ match-winner Nemanja Vidic.

The colossal Serbian defender, outstanding in defence all afternoon, powered in a header from Nani’s corner to seal victory in a match that so often looked destined for a draw, and surely only enhances Vidic’s cult status among United supporters.

Wayne Rooney, who hasn’t played since the opening day draw with Reading at Old Trafford, had been tipped to make his comeback from a fractured metatarsal against his former club. But Sir Alex Ferguson instead opted to leave the 21-year-old out of his 16. And with Cristiano Ronaldo back from a three-match suspension, Carlos Tevez with games under his belt and Louis Saha on the bench, there was no need to take any risks with the English front man.

The Reds, and Tevez in particular, started brightly with the Argentina forward, Ronaldo, and Ryan Giggs all rotating to find space in the final third. The first chance came to United after a glorious through-ball from Tevez, arced perfectly round Everton full-back Tony Hibbert to find the advancing Patrice Evra. The Frenchman, playing at left-wing in front of Mikael Silvestre, hit the side-netting with his shot, but it represented a positive opening from Sir Alex’s team.

Ronaldo was next to go close after quarter of an hour with a shot that flew past the post. And it may have troubled Everton’s stand-in goalkeeper Stefan Wessels had Joleon Lescott not got a crucial touch on the ball.

But, despite United’s bright beginning, the half ended frustratingly for the Reds, with Everton defending resolutely and clear-cut chances few and far between.

Sir Alex was forced into a change just before half time when Mikael Silvestre appeared to slip, twisting his knee. Nani replaced the Frenchman and took up duties on the left wing, with Evra dropping back into defence to replace his fellow countryman.

Yakubu was proving a handful for United’s defenders. Inside two minutes of the restart, he laid on the ball for Phil Jagielka to strike just wide. Then he helped earn David Moyes’ men a corner kick, from which Paul Scholes had to clear off the line from Andy Johnson’s header.

Giggs and Tevez continued to probe Everton’s defence after the break, but United were finding it difficult to get in behind the defence. And when the Reds did manage to find space in the area just after the hour, the chance went begging. Ronaldo and Tevez combined on the edge of the box, culminating in Tevez lifted the ball over Joseph Yobo to find Scholes’ run, but the ball wouldn’t drop quick enough and, under pressure from Lescott, he volleyed over.

With that in mind Sir Alex brought on Saha in place of Ryan Giggs. Two minutes previously, Tevez had gone close with a 20-yard effort. Saha had entered the fray with United in the ascendancy again.

But again the Reds were being frustrated. Ronaldo went down in the area on 70 minutes and for a second it seemed as if referee Alan Wylie had pointed to the spot. He had actually given Everton a free-kick and booked Ronaldo for diving, even though television replays showed that Jagielka had clipped the Portuguese winger’s heels.

With the game entering the final ten minutes, the match appeared headed for a draw. And on account of Everton’s undoubted improvement this season, a draw at Goodison Park is by no means anything to be ashamed of. But in light of United dropping points against Reading, Portsmouth and Manchester City already this season, these were three points the Reds certainly needed.

The cavalry finally arrived in the 83rd minute. Patrice Evra won a corner on the left and Nemanja Vidic, so dangerous from set-pieces, found space at the front post to power home from Nani’s centre. Remarkably, it was the Reds’ first attempt on target, which tells its own story.

But the drama wasn’t over there. James McFadden, Scotland’s hero against France in midweek, came on for Phil Neville and immediately tested Edwin van der Sar with a 20-yard effort. The Dutchman’s palmed the shot away, but it fell to substitute Victor Anichebe inside the six-yard area. United’s fans, hearts in mouths, must have winced, but Rio Ferdinand came to the rescue to block the Nigerian’s shot, before Yobo fired wide.

This isn’t the slick United we saw at this stage of last season, but with several of the team’s most important players returning to action from injury or suspension, it’s another victory – the third 1-0 win in a row – and results are all that matter.

Team Line-ups

Everton: Wessels; Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Baines; Osman (Pienaar, 72) P.Neville (McFadden, 84), Jagielka, Arteta; Johnson, Yakubu (Anichebe, 72).
Subs not used: Turner, Carsley.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre (Nani, 40, Pique, 84); Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Evra; Giggs (Saha, 62), Tevez.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Gibson.