Champions League Report

Manchester United 3-2 Braga:

Chicharito double completes magnificent turnaround

The Red Devils continued their bad habit of conceding early, Alan with two first-half strikes, but the Mexican forward inspired a recovery to maintain momentum in Group H

A Chicharito-inspired Manchester United recovered from an early sucker-punch to beat Braga 3-2 in their Champions League clash at Old Trafford, extending their lead at the top of Group H to five clear points.

Alan scored in the second and 20th minutes to rock the Red Devils but the Mexican's double, either side of a Jonny Evans equaliser, rescued all three points.

Sir Alex Ferguson followed through on his pre-match talk of implementing a diamond, Wayne Rooney captaining the side from its forward point and Michael Carrick beating Scott Wootton to a start at centre-back.

The makeshift nature of the defence showed, however, when Alan profited from badly disorganised marking to rise and head home within just two minutes from Hugo Viana's cross.

The visitors had arrived fearless and they doubled their lead on 20 minutes, this time exploiting Carrick. Eder skinned the England man on the left touchline and darted inside to cut a pass back into the box, where Alan stabbed home for his second.

Braga's two-goal cushion lasted all of five minutes and it was thanks to a smart piece of refereeing that United got their riposte. Serbian official Milorad Mazic indicated an advantage when Robin van Persie was fouled on the left flank but Shinji Kagawa picked up the loose ball and dinked a cross for Chicharito, who was onside at the far post to head into the net.

Both teams pushed for more, Van Persie firing wide with his right foot at one end before Alan nearly exploited more uneasy defending by volleying just past the post. Kagawa's movement saw him break past the back line but, just as he rolled it to the unmarked Chicharito, the Japanese was harshly flagged for offside.

Needing to seize control of an open contest after half-time, United had to replace the injured Kagawa with Nani, flattening their diamond formation accordingly. Possession did indeed come more easily but penetration slightly less so as the Braga rearguard held their own.

The breakthrough came from a poorly cleared corner, however, which fell to Evans. The defender scuffed his first attempt but it bobbled back to him and a scruffy finish was enough to beat Beto and send the game level.

Buoyed, United pushed for more and, after setting Nani up for a saved stinger, the excellent Chicharito got further reward for a superb performance. The Mexican powerfully headed home from a pinpoint delivery by Tom Cleverley, another bright spark in the turnaround.

Braga had looked deflated ever since Evans' euqaliser and never really threatened to get back into proceedings, even when David de Gea's risky pass to Cleverley opened things up. Ruben Amorim's first touch deserted him, however, and the opportunity fell flat. In the end, Sir Alex's men were comfortable in their victory.

Barcelona 2-1 Celtic

Heartbreak for Hoops after Alba wins it late

A disciplined defensive performance from the visitors saw them keep the Catalan giants largely at bay but they were denied a historic draw in stoppage time at Camp Nou

Barcelona overcame a spirited display from Celtic to secure a 2-1 victory courtesy of a stoppage-time winner in their Champions League group stage clash on Tuesday evening.

The Scottish champions took a surprise lead in the first half, with Javier Mascherano heading past his own goalkeeper after a superb delivery from Charlie Mulgrew wide on the right.

The hosts levelled the scores shortly before the break, though, when after an intricate move involving Xavi and Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta stabbed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

And, with the game nearing its conclusion, Jordi Alba was on hand to break Celtic hearts by prodding home at the far post after beating his man for pace on the outside and latching onto an Adriano ball in the box.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova rang the changes for the game, bringing in young centre-back Marc Bartra for the suspended Sergio Busquets, while David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Martin Montoya and Cristian Tello dropped out of the starting eleven to be replaced by Xavi, Adriano, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon made four changes for the game, with Mikael Lustig, Emilio Izaguirre, Scott Brown and Georgios Samaras coming into the side for Adam Matthews, Tony Watt, Lassad Nouioui and Beram Kayal.

The hosts should have taken the lead as early as the second minute when a cute pass in behind the back four from Messi saw Sanchez miss a one-on-one chance, dinking his effort just past the left-hand post.

It was the unfancied visitors who took a shock lead in the 17th minute, though, when Mulgrew's viciously whipped free-kick from the right wing left Mascherano red-faced as he nodded into his own net under pressure from Samaras.

After finding themselves frustrated for the majority of the half, struggling to break down a stubborn Celtic defence, Barcelona drew level right on the stroke of half-time through Iniesta, who latched onto a magnificent through ball from Xavi to poke the ball past the onrushing Forster.

With Barcelona pushing for the lead, it took a world-class save from Forster to deny Messi who looked odds on to tap home from an offside position just six yards from goal after some good work by both Sanchez and Pedro.

Moments later, another high-quality save kept out a Messi header from point-blank range after a delicately clipped ball over the top from Xavi.

With the clock ticking down and Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson excellent at the heart of the back four, Celtic got a deserved stroke of luck as Villa struck the post with an angled drive from within the box.

But the Bhoys' resolve was broken in the 93rd minute when Adriano's cross allowed Alba to steal in ahead of his marker and poke home.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Chelsea

Holders humbled by Alex Teixeira & Fernandinho strikes

The Brazilian duo netted early in each half as the Ukrainian champions deservedly extended their 11-month unbeaten home record at the expense of the lacklustre holders

Alex Teixeira and Fernandinho got the goals as a hugely impressive Shakhtar side dealt Chelsea’s Champions League qualification hopes a blow with a deserved victory in Donetsk.

The Brazilian duo did the damage with a goal early in each half as the Ukrainian champions asserted themselves at the top of Group E and extended their 11-month unbeaten record at the Donbass Arena.

Oscar netted a late consolation but, for Chelsea, the path to the knockout stages now looks far more perilous - despite Juventus helpfully drawing their ninth continental match in a row against Nordsjaelland - after failing what was always likely to be a stern test of their renewed European aspirations.

Roberto Di Matteo made two changes to the Chelsea side which saw off Tottenham on Saturday. John Terry captained the team for the first time since accepting his FA punishment for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, while Frank Lampard was recalled to the midfield in place of Eden Hazard.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side which came close to inflicting a shock defeat on Juventus last time out, with the creative trio of former Blues target Willian, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Teixeira supplying Luiz Adriano up front.

The Ukrainians began with the confidence of a side unbeaten at home for almost a year, and took the lead three minutes in when Adriano’s attempted shot struck Terry and broke for Teixeira, who calmly stroked the ball low beyond a helpless Petr Cech.

Chelsea steadied the ship but Shakhtar continued to look the more incisive, and, on 16 minutes, Willian jinked inside Ramires and ripped a shot over Cech’s crossbar.

Things got worse for the European champions with the early withdrawal of Lampard through injury, and soon after the lively Willian tested Cech again with a curling drive.

The Blues goalkeeper made further good saves to deny Mkhitaryan and Tomas Hubschmann as the half drew to a close, and in truth the visitors were fortunate to reach the break only one goal behind.

Chelsea tried to rally at the start of the second half but soon found themselves in big trouble again, however, when Hazard gave the ball away cheaply on the halfway line and Adriano fed Fernandinho, who fired in from the angle.

Left with a mountain to climb, Di Matteo’s men pushed on, but were repeatedly frustrated by disciplined Shakhtar defending which limited them to hopeful shots from range.

Daniel Sturridge replaced the ineffective Fernando Torres with 20 minutes left, and the England man made an immediate impact, cleverly playing in Hazard to force a solid stop from an otherwise criminally underworked Andriy Pyatov.

But this was a rare moment of invention from a Chelsea attack uncharacteristically devoid of imagination, and it was Shakhtar who continued to look more dangerous on the counter.

Mkhitaryan and Hubschmann both went close to adding insult to injury before the Blues gave themselves hope of a miraculous comeback on 87 minutes, as Branislav Ivanovic surged to the byline and crossed low for Oscar to tap home.

But it proved to be false hope, and Shakhtar ran out worthy winners.

Spartak Moscow 2-1 Benfica

Jardel own goal puts Russians back into Group G contention

Unai Emery's men bounced back from successive 3-2 defeats to Barcelona and Celtic by claiming three points which lifts them above their Portuguese rivals in the standings

Spartak Moscow kept their hope of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive by deservedly edging out Benfica 2-1 in a crunch Group G clash at the Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The hosts broke the deadlock with less than three minutes played, Rafael Carioca finishing off a wonderful breakaway from deep inside their own half, but their Portuguese opponents levelled matters courtesy of a near-post header from Lima half an hour later.

However, Jardel, under pressure from Ari, put through his own goal shortly before the interval and Spartak held on to their slender advantage in the face of incessant late pressure from Benfica to register their first points of their Champions League campaign.

Spartak, who had blown 2-1 leads in their opening two games against Barcelona and Celtic, made a storming start and could easily have been ahead inside a minute, with Ari picking out Diniyar Bilyaletdinov unmarked in the area only for Artur to parry the former Everton man’s towering header away to safety. 

Still, the home fans would not have to wait much long to see their side go ahead. Bilyaletdinov pounced on a loose pass from Nemanja Matic in Spartak territory and surged forward before moving the ball onto Jurado. The on-loan Schalke attacker held it up superbly, waiting until the last possible second before slipping the supporting Rafael Carioca in on goal. The Brazilian demonstrated just as much poise and composure in drawing out Artur before coolly prodding the ball past his compatriot.

It should have been 2-0 just over 20 minutes later but Ari volleyed against the bar after being picked out at the back post by a terrific cross from Jano Ananidze. Almost inevitably, the striker’s profligacy was punished almost immediately, Lima heading home an equally inviting delivery, this time from Salvio from wide on the right after Spartak had failed to fully clear a Benfica corner.

The momentum appeared now very much with the visitors but, credit to Spartak, they first reclaimed the initiative, and then the lead when Jardel bundled a dangerous cross from Evgeni Makeev into his own net, after the latter had been released into space by a defence-splitting pass from his captain, Dmitri Kombarov.

Spartak began the second half as promisingly and menacingly as they had the first and nearly doubled their advantage on 55 minutes but Ari failed to get enough purchase on Ananidze’s low ball across the six-yard box and the former AZ forwad’s back-heeled effort was easily saved by Artur.

It was Benfica, though, who should have struck next, with the otherwise impressive Makeev gifting Salvio the opportunity to equalise by making a mess of an attempted header back to his goalkeeper. However, luckily for the Spartak right-back, the Argentine fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

Despite dominating territory and possession in the final quarter, winless Benfica would not go so close again to snatching a point, meaning they drop to the bottom of the group and must now triumph in their return clash with Spartak in Lisbon to retain any chance of reaching the last 16.

FC Nordsjaelland 1-1 Juventus

Beckmann free kick earns Danes famous draw

The Danes stunned the Bianconeri by taking the lead shortly after the interval with a sublime set-piece and then, after Mirko Vucinic's equaliser, somehow held on for a point

Juventus' hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League are hanging by a thread after being held to a 1-1 draw by Group E minnows FC Nordsjaelland at Parken Stadium on Tuesday night.

However, it could have been even worse for the Bianconeri, who fell behind to a stunning free-kick goal from Mikkel Beckmann early in the second half. Indeed, there were just under 10 minutes remaining when the Italian champions finally drew level, through substitute Mirko Vucinic.

Fellow replacement Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to be a hero on home soil but he headed wide late on and Juve were forced to settle for their third successive draw in this season's Champions League - and their ninth in total in European competition.

The Bianconeri had gone into the game in Copenhagen knowing that nothing less than a victory would suffice if they were to retain any real chance of progressing as winners of Group E - or perhaps even progressing at all.

Still, while the visitors, and Andrea Pirlo in particular, were undoubtedly intent on taking control of the game early on, FCN were in no mood to be pushed around and enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges. 

Indeed, with Kasper Lorentzen, Joshua John and Andreas Laudrup all impressing in support of lone frontman Beckmann, the tournament debutants carried an undeniable attacking threat. They could even have taken the lead on the half hour when John latched onto a kick-out from Jesper Hansen and looked to flick the ball past the onrushing Gianluigi Buffon only to see the goalkeeper rather fortuitously block with the side of his chest - when it could so easily have been his flailing left arm. 

However, it was Juve, with Pirlo predictably pulling the strings, who looked the more likely scorers in a tight opening 45 minutes. With one superbly-executed, first-time pass in behind the FCN defence, Pirlo put Sebastian Giovinco in on goal only for the diminutive forward to be muscled off the ball by the impressive Jores Okore. 

It was undoubtedly Giovinco who was carrying the Bianconeri’s most potent attacking threat but after seeing a smart volley saved by Jesper Hansen on 28 minutes, the former Parma man squandered a terrific chance to break the deadlock moments later after being played through by Paolo De Ceglie. Giovinco rounded the advancing Hansen with ease but allowed the acute angle to get the better of him and fired into the side netting.

The diminutive forward also tested Hansen with stinging drives either side of half-time, first after sending the scrambling FCN defence one way and then the other, and then after latching onto a fine knock-on by strike partner Alessandro Matri.

The opening goal, therefore, came as a real bolt from the blue - and Juventus only had themselves to blame, some sloppy play in midfield eventually leading to De Ceglie putting his own defence under pressure with a poor pass before an unsettled Giorgio Chiellini needlessly barged Laudrup out of the way on the edge of the area.

Beckmann, whose shooting up until this point had been tame at best, stepped up to take the resulting free kick and calmly curled the ball up and over the wall and into the top-right corner, sparking raucous celebrations from the 'home' side's supporters.

Juventus, unsurprisingly, redoubled their efforts in a bid to drag themselves back into the game and Giovinco, after rising wonderfully to meet another fine De Ceglie delivery, was only denied a long overdue goal by the most amazing one-handed save from Hansen.

The Italian champions continued to press, sending Bendtner and Vucinic on to bolster their attacking ranks. In the end, it was the latter who made the breakthrough, volleying home a fine cross from Mauricio Isla from wide on the right-hand side with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Bendtner, though, could have really kickstarted his Juventus career on 87 minutes but he headed another inviting cross from De Ceglie well wide after arriving late into the area. In truth, though, it was probably only just that FCN held on to claim the greatest result in their 21-year history.

Lille 0-1 Bayern Munich

Muller goal gets Bavarians' Champions League campaign back on track

The visitors recovered from their shock loss to BATE Borisov a fortnight ago and grabbed their second European victory of the season against the tame Dogues

Bayern Munich claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Lille in France to get their Champions League campaign back on track.

The Bavarians were in control for much of the match without ever really getting out of first gear, and Thomas Muller's 19th-minute penalty proved to be enough on the night.

The hosts looked vulnerable from the outset, and truth be told, Jupp Heynckes' side should have been goal up within a minute of the kick-off. 

Philipp Lahm picked out Thomas Muller pefectly with a right-wing cross, but the Germany intenrational's control failed him when he was completely unmarked. Had he taken a more measured first touch, he would have surely found the target from a matter of yards.

Thereafter, the Bavarians began to take control, and Franck Ribery was looking lively, forcing untried youngster Djibril Sidibe into a string of clumsy fouls, only for Bayern's set piece taker to fail to deliver.

And, they almost paid for it. Despite Lucas Digne frequently allowing Muller and Lahm too much room on the wings, he was excellent going forward, and on one dart down the left, he found Tulio De Melo, who could only head wide under pressure from Dante.

Soon enough, though, Bayern's dominance paid off. Lahm took advantage of a drop in concentration from Digne, darted into the box, and fell, slightly softly, under a challenge from the full-back. Muller stepped up, and calmly passed the ball into the back of the net from the spot.

The match then continued in much the same manner that it had been previously. Bayern were almost unchallenged in possession, stroking the ball around harmlessly in the centre of the park without any real penetration.

Digne, eager to make up for his mistake in giving away the penalty made another charge down the wing and sent in a fantastic cross that narrowly evaded the heads of Nolan Roux and De Melo, before Marvin Martin screwed a long-range volley wide from distance with Manuel Neuer out of position.

However, all things told, Lille did not do enough to warrant an equaliser before the break, allowing Bayern to take their slender lead into the break, despite a meagre performance.

After the restart, the hosts returned with more vigour, pressing Bayern more in midfield, but spare a pop shot from Florent Balmont which was blocked by Dante's head, they were no closer to grabbing an equaliser.

At the other end, an excellent block from Sidibe forced Xherdan Shaqiri's volley well over the bar, while a Muller cross caused mayhem among the static Lille defence, who eventually managed to clear their lines with Mario Mandzukic lurking.

Shaqiri then had credible appeals for a penalty turned down after a left-wing cross struck Franck Beria on the arm from close range, while Bastian Schweinsteiger failed to play in Lahm, who had won the ball brilliantly just outside the box and attempted a give-and-go with his team-mate.

Muller missed a golden opportunity to kill off the game 14 minutes from time, trying to sweep home a Lahm cross with his right foot when he could have had a tap-in with his left.

And, within seconds, they were almost made to pay for their error. Ryan Mendes, fresh from the bench, was gifted possession by Dante inside the Bayern box, but saw his effort blocked by Schweinsteiger. 

He recovered the ball and dinked in a cross, but Lahm stood firm and stopped his attacker from getting control.

Perhaps rattled by the Lille resurgence, Heynckes brought Luiz Gustavo on for Kroos, and although the hosts continued to press, Bayern had done just about enough.

Lille now sit six points behind all their fellow Group F sides. Heynckes' side, meanwhile, can take a huge step towards progression when they host les Dogues in a fortnight's time.

BATE Borisov 0-3 Valencia

Soldado hat-trick earns superb away victory

The prolific attacker was simply unstoppable in Belarus as he single-handedly helped his side to a crucial away win

Valencia have recorded a 3-0 win over BATE Borisov in Tuesday evening's Champions League Group F encounter in Minsk.

The Spanish side did not have an easy evening against the Borisov outfit before the break, but Roberto Soldado's converted penalty in the dying seconds of the first half helped them on their way, before again Soldado made it two after the interval. The Spain international got his hat-trick in the 69th minute following a fine finish.

The away side started the match the better team of the two and came close to opening the scoring after only five minutes of play. Fernando Gago reached Soldado with a superb pass, but the 27-year-old's powerful strike was kept out by Andrey Gorbunov.

Soldado again caused the BATE defence all kinds of trouble shortly after when he nutmegged Egor Filipenko before setting up Andres Guardado. However, the Mexican winger's shot was too weak to trouble Gorbunov.

BATE then took over the initiative and created a number of dangerous situations, with Vitali Rodionov in particular threatening.

The striker hesitated just too long after being set up by Aliaksandr Hleb, allowing Ricardo Costa to make a last-ditch clearance, while Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves only just intercepted a low cross from the left before Rodionov could tap home from close range. Meanwhile, Alves was not too impressed with the striker's header after Maksim Bordachev's excellent cross.

It were the guests who eventually broke the deadlock, though, and it was the inevitable Soldado who added his name to the score-sheet. Marko Simic pulled down the attacker inside the BATE area, leaving the referee no other choice but to award a spot-kick. Soldado stepped up to take it himself, and easily slotted home.

Rodionov once more threatened only minutes into the second half, but Alves again proved to be in fine form. Valencia then broke free on the counter-attack, and Soldado doubled his side's lead with a well-taken volley after a Guardado cross from the left wing. 

Both Guardado and Soldado could have made it three immediately after the 2-0, but the former's attempt was blocked by the goalkeeper, while the latter's shot was cleared off the goal-line.

The BATE defenders were unable to contain Soldado, and the striker seemed to get his hat-trick after he slammed home a rebound from close range. However, the linesman raised his flag and the goal was disallowed for offside. 

Soldado would get his third of the evening only minutes later, though. Tino Costa managed to reach the prolific attacker despite the duo being outnumbered by the BATE defence, and the 27-year-old again showed his class with a calm finish. 

Valencia and BATE have both collected six points from three games, and share top spot with Bayern Munich. Both sides meet again at Mestalla on November 7.

Galatasaray 1-1 CFR Cluj

Yilmaz leveller can't lift Turkish side from bottom of Group H

A late strike from the Turkey international ensured that the Istanbul outfit picked up their first point in European competition this season despite an uninspiring performance

Galatasaray left it late to secure a 1-1 draw in the Champions League against 10-man CFR Cluj in appalling conditions at the Turk Telekom Arena.

Torrential rain before kick off meant that the fixture was played on a water-logged pitch, though this did not hinder the visitors who took the lead midway through the first half when Dany Nounkeu turned into his own net.

Cluj were reduced to 10 men soon after but Gala were unable to capitalise on their man advantage with Felipe Melo failing to convert from the penalty spot. But with 15 minutes remaining, Burak Yilmaz equalised with his side's first Champions League goal this season, also securing them their maiden point.

Proof that the sodden pitch was going to make for a turbulent match was evident within the opening two minutes. After the hosts gave the ball away, Emmanuel Eboue offered too much space to Camora on the left. He found Rafael Bastos in the area but the forward sliced his effort high and wide of the goal.

To their credit Gala attempted to play good football in the face of the adverse conditions and their first shot of goal came in the 14th minute. Hamit Altintop's 20-yard strike was parried aside by Mario Felgueiras and although Umut Bulut was first to the loose ball, the referee was unconvinced as he fell to the floor inside the box.

But Cluj, maintaining a more direct gameplan, silenced the stadium in the 19th minute. Camora once more found space down the left and he crossed for Pantelis Kapetanos. The striker got a foot on the ball but was fortunate that a wicked deflection off Nounkeu carried the ball into the back of the net.

With 28 minutes played the Istanbul outfit were given a huge boost when Matias Aguirregaray was dismissed for his second booking in the space of three minutes after bringing down Selcuk Inan.

Momentum immediately swung the way of the hosts and after Felgueiras thwarted Altintop, Laszlo Sepsi conceded a penalty for handball with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Felipe Melo stepped up to take the spot-kick but the keeper guessed right, clawing the ball away and capping a brilliant half.

Six minutes after the restart Gala failed to take the most of yet another gilt-edged chance. The excellent Nordin Amrabat picked out Bulut in space in front of goal but he failed to connect with the ball properly as it skidded off the slick surface.

With the Cluj defence camped back on the edge of their own area, the hosts enjoyed total dominance. But Fatih Terim's men continued to rally and the Romanian resistance was finally broken with 13 minutes remaining. Amrabat's cross found Yilmaz in the area, who had replaced the injured Johan Elmander in the first half, and he beat the keeper to the ball to nod into the net.

Galatasary were unable to go a step further and find the winner meaning they remain bottom of Group H while Cluj rise above Braga and into second.

Source: goal.com

Europa League

Results from yesterday's matches

Sporting CP 1 - 0 Man City

Atletico Madrid 3 - 1 Besiktas

Metalist Kharkiv 0 - 1 Olympiacos

FC Twente 1 - 0 FC Schalke

Standart Liege 2 - 2 Hannover 96

Valencia 4 - 2 PSV

Man Utd 2 - 3 Athletic Bilbao

AZ Alkmaar 2 - 0 Udinense

Premier League - Janyary 22

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2

Valencia and Welbeck keep up the pressure on City

Manchester United kept within touching distance of the top of the Barclays Premier League thanks to Danny Welbeck's late winner at Arsenal.
United knew they needed a win to keep close to leaders Manchester City and they looked on course for victory when Antonio Valencia nodded home Ryan Giggs' cross.
Arsenal rallied in the second half and pulled one back through Robin van Persie, but their hopes of a point were dashed nine minutes from the end when Welbeck steered Valencia's cross home from close range.

The game was not a patch on City's 3-2 win over Tottenham in terms of entertainment and quality, but Sir Alex Ferguson will be happy to have ground out another win which further proves he still has the know-how to formulate a title challenging team at the grand old age of 70.
In reality, though, Arsenal made their task much easier thanks to an abject first-half defensive display from the Gunners' makeshift back four.
Despite the thrilling nature of the encounter between Tottenham and City earlier, Arsenal v Manchester United has proved to be a humdinger of a game in Premier League history.
Pizza-throwing tunnel clashes, touchline spats and on-field rucks have taken place in recent encounters and today's match had even more added spice as the Gunners were out for revenge after their 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford.
Both managers had predicted a cagey encounter on this occasion, however, and the first 10 minutes suggested they were right to do so.
Jonny Evans cleared an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross and Anders Lindegaard easily gathered a shot from Aaron Ramsey.
Theo Walcott embarrassed Phil Jones with his quick feet, causing the defender to trip up and hit the deck and he had to come off for Rafael after just 15 minutes.
Per Mertesacker and Johan Djourou cleared dangerous United crosses and Valencia just failed to tap home a flick-on.

Oxlade-Chamberlain bamboozled Patrice Evra to sneak in to the United box and laid off to Walcott, but he blazed over from 18 yards.
Evra then easily beat Alex Song down the left and crossed for Nani but Szczesny saved.

Giggs played Wayne Rooney into the box and the striker went down after appearing to have his arm pulled by Song but Mike Dean waved play on.
The ability of United's wingers to skip past makeshift full-backs Vermaelen and Djourou was a particular source of frustration for the home support.
Nani easily beat the Swiss and whistled a sharp ball across the box.

n the opening minute of first half injury time Giggs was given space down the left flank and he floated a cross over to the back post where Valencia beat Vermaelen in the air to nod home.
Arsenal went off at half-time to a chorus of boos and Wenger, clearly unimpressed by Djourou's contribution, replaced the defender with 18-year-old Nico Yennaris who was making his league debut.
Van Persie was presented with an easy chance five minutes after the break when Tomas Rosicky pinched the ball off Chris Smalling and squared for him but he fired wide from 10 yards with the goal gaping.

Van Persie then tricked his way past three United defenders and squared for Rosicky but his drive was blocked by Evra.
Laurent Koscielny burst in to the United half and laid the ball off to Oxlade-Chamberlain but his drive flew barely an inch wide.
Welbeck raced through after a headed clearance from the United back line and slipped the ball past the advancing Szczesny only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Per Mertesacker.

Tribute: Robin van Persie had a message for his grandfather after scoring

The striker fell in the challenge from Arsenal's goalkeeper, but despite United's protestations, Dean did not pull play back for a penalty.
Then with 20 minutes to go, Arsenal stunned the visitors with an equaliser.
The Gunners broke through Oxlade-Chamberlain who squared for Van Persie and his reverse shot flew through Evans' legs and in off the post.

Arsenal fans reacted with fury when Wenger brought Oxlade-Chamberlain off two minutes later for Andrey Arshavin.
Nani hobbled off and was replaced by Paul Scholes after being injured in a tackle and Ferguson sacrificed substitute Rafael for Park Ji-sung.
The Emirates Stadium was shocked in to near silence with nine minutes left after Welbeck put the Red Devils ahead.

Valencia lost his marker Arshavin and played a clever one-two with Park before squaring to Welbeck, who bundled home from close range.
Van Persie flung himself towards a header in injury time but United cleared and Evans calmly guided Mertesacker's header in to Lindegaard's arms soon after as the visitors clung on for a vital win.

Source: mailonline

Man City   3 - 2   Tottenham

Mario Balotelli's injury-time penalty gave Premier League leaders Manchester City a vital victory after Tottenham's stirring comeback looked set to earn them a point at The Etihad.

Balotelli calmly slotted home the decisive penalty to give City the points

City set the platform for a win early in the second half with two quick goals from Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott - but Spurs delivered a devastating response as an opportunist goal from Jermain Defoe and a magnificent strike from Gareth Bale drew them level in a burst of four goals in nine minutes.

Balotelli emerged from the bench and into the chaos that seems to be his constant companion - picking up a booking for a foul on Benoit Assou-Ekotto then escaping punishment after appearing to stamp on Scott Parker, an incident which went undetected by referee Howard Webb.

Defoe was then inches away from putting Spurs back in front in stoppage time before Italian Balotelli was inevitably the central figure in the final twist that ensured Roberto Mancini's side maintained the gap ahead of their pursuers at the top of the table.

Spurs' backroom staff were enraged by Balotelli's clash with Parker and their burning sense of injustice would have been made even more acute when he calmly strode forward to score from the spot with only seconds remaining after he had been hauled down by Ledley King.

The visitors clearly felt he should not even have been on the pitch, adding to their frustration after they had demonstrated considerable character and resilience to fight their way back into the game.

City boss Mancini will have had mixed emotions - delight at a crucial three points but also anxiety at the manner in which his side allowed Spurs back into the game.

Defoe, as expected, was Redknapp's selection in attack ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor, who was unable to figure against City, his parent club, during his season-long loan period.

In a first half that was fiercely contested, the only striker who got the chance to shine was City's Sergio Aguero as Spurs outnumbered City in midfield and contained the league leaders in relative comfort.

The Argentine saw his goalbound shot inadvertently blocked by Edin Dzeko, then demonstrated great strength and awareness to hold off Younes Kaboul and find David Silva, who dragged his shot just wide.

Aguero was frustrated by Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel after Richards forced his way into area - but there was still no indication of the torrent of goals that were to hit The Etihad after the break.

The first came after 56 minutes when Silva, with trademark creation, threaded a pass through for Nasri to thump a finish past Friedel. And when Lescott bundled home Dzeko's flick from a Nasri corner three minutes later, City could see daylight.

Not for long, however, as Spurs were back in business within seconds as the hour approached. Stefan Savic failed miserably in his attempt to deal with a clearance, heading straight to Defoe, who accepted the gift with relish as he rounded City keeper Joe Hart to score.

City's fans had gone from elation to anxiety, but Dzeko should have eased their concerns when he was played in by Silva. The Bosnian never looked convincing as he lashed his effort way over the top.

Bale showed no such uncertainty when he put Spurs level in spectacular style after 65 minutes. He took Luka Modric's pass and clipped a finish that possessed pace, power and precision high into the top corner beyond Hart, who had no chance.

City had introduced Balotelli for Dzeko, but his first meaningful contribution was to pick up a yellow card from referee Webb for a foul on Assou-Ekotto.

The coming together with Parker that provided a major talking point followed soon after, before a thrilling second half received the climax it deserved.

Defoe could not stretch far enough to turn Bale's cross into an open goal - leaving the stage clear for the turbulent Balotelli to write another chapter into his eventful Manchester City story.

Source: BBC Sport

Premier League - January 14

Liverpool 0 - 0 Stoke City

Toothless Reds held at home again

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish failed to come up with the winning formula at Anfield as his side were held to a goalless draw against Stoke.

Steven Gerrard and Jonathan Walters battle for posession

An unfamiliar line-up to combat the visitors' obvious physical strengths initially appeared to cause more problems for the Reds than it did their opponents.

It took until after the break for Dalglish's side to find their feet but they still struggled to carve out chances against the obdurate Potters and it cost them yet another three points.

They may still be unbeaten at home this season but they have now drawn seven of their 11 matches and the issue is starting to become more of a problem.

The point was exactly what Stoke had come for, however, and they left happy after doing a textbook job in stifling their hosts' creative abilities.

Liverpool lined up in the same 3-4-2-1 formation with which they beat Stoke at home last season but with the personnel different - including summer signing Sebastian Coates being given his first Barclays Premier League start - they struggled to adjust.

Dirk Kuyt, without a league goal since the final day of last season, lacked support up front and while Glen Johnson, on the right of midfield, roamed everywhere on the opposite flank Jose Enrique got forward less than he did playing at left-back.

There appeared to be misunderstanding and confusion everywhere Liverpool turned and Stoke were more than grateful to watch it all unfold in front of them with little intervention required on their part.

Very little quality was evident in the first half - Steven Gerrard's raking 60-yard crossfield ball straight to the feet of Enrique apart - as players ran down the blind alleys Stoke shepherded them into.

In fact the visitors had probably the best chance midway through the first half from a quick counter-attack but even then Matt Etherington's shot from outside the penalty area was easily saved by Jose Reina.

Stewart Downing, Gerrard and Jordan Henderson all had shots from distance but only the latter's troubled goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

For all their struggles at home this season, with four wins and six draws in 10 matches before kick-off, it was easily the worst 45 minutes seen at Anfield since Dalglish returned as manager a year ago.

There was a slight improvement after the break but not to the standard expected of a side with top-four ambitions.

Johnson twice cut in from the right to shoot with his left foot, having his first blocked and dragging the second wide, and when Enrique finally got forward his cross from the left byline was too close to Sorensen.

Striker Andy Carroll made his entrance in the 59th minute to replace Downing and immediately caused a problem with Robert Huth putting him a headlock, unseen by referee Howard Webb, from Gerrard's corner.

The England international's next intervention was less helpful, however, blocking Henderson's goalbound volley from Enrique's cross before then deciding he required a change of footwear.

Gerrard's threaded through ball picked out the toiling Kuyt in the area but the Holland international's first touch let him down.

The Dutchman was to miss Liverpool's best two chances in the final 13 minutes when he headed Enrique's deflected cross wide and then nodded into the side-netting at the far post.

Prior to those chances he had also gone down in the area as he tried to reach Johnson's cross after Carroll had twice appeared to be fouled by Huth in the box.

Martin Skrtel's downward header from Craig Bellamy's corner bounced over and with it went his side's chances of getting a winner as the hosts ran out of ideas.

Man Utd 3 - 0 Bolton

Scholes returns to inspire United

Paul Scholes scored Man Utd's opening goal on his first start in eight months

Paul Scholes' first Old Trafford goal for almost two years set Manchester United up for a valuable 3-0 Premier League win over Bolton.

On only his second appearance since his shock retirement U-turn, the 37-year-old tapped home Wayne Rooney's cross-shot at the far post in first-half stoppage time to give the hosts a priceless lead after Rooney had seen his penalty saved by Adam Bogdan.

After a frustrating second-half, Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick eventually sealed victory late on, ensuring United now only trail neighbours Manchester City, who do not play until Monday, on goal difference.

After Thierry Henry's matchwinning effort for Arsenal on Monday, it was perhaps destined that Scholes would come up with something special once he was confirmed as a member of the United starting line-up.

Had referee Peter Walton not been feeling charitable, it could easily have been a red card, for Scholes' thigh-high assault on Mark Davies was pretty poor in a week when refereeing inconsistencies within the English game have been a talking point.

However, after a couple of cracking long-range shots, Scholes saved the drama until first-half stoppage time.

Having peeled away to the far post, he was perfectly placed to turn home a Rooney cross-shot, which Danny Welbeck had failed to get a touch to.

It the 151st United goal of Scholes' career, and his first since August 2010, meaning he has equalled last season's tally in just two appearances after abandoning his job coaching the club's reserve team.

It was tough luck on the visitors, particularly their goalkeeper Bogdan, who had performed heroics up to that point to keep the hosts out.

Beaten from 92 yards by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard on his last league outing, Bogdan got the better of Rooney from 12 today.

When Zat Knight was beaten to Antonio Valencia's through ball by Welbeck, the Bolton defender pushed his opponent in a desperate attempt to reach the ball.

There was no debate about the penalty. However, as at Manchester City last week, Rooney's spot-kick was saved.

And on this occasion, after plunging to his right, Bogdan got enough on the ball to steer it away from any possible rebound.

The young keeper's place is at risk as Jussi Jaaskelainen nears a full recovery from a thigh strain.

But he must have been pleased with his fine personal display, in particular two saves to deny Welbeck.

And with Mark Davies bundling a Rooney header off the line, Bolton were gaining in confidence, although the ease with which United got behind them explained why USA defender Tim Ream was in the stands, pending his arrival as Chelsea-bound Gary Cahill's replacement.

Bolton wasted an excellent opportunity to equalise straight after the restart when United's defence, not for the first time, got themselves into a tangle, which allowed Davies to race into the area.

He found Ngog but with an unmarked Martin Petrov screaming for a lay-off, the former Liverpool man scooped his shot high over the bar.

This was a warning for Sir Alex Ferguson's men, although there was no immediate end to the chances being wasted.

Rooney was again the culprit just after the hour, when Valencia burst into the box and crossed low to the far post.

In fairness to the striker, he was at full stretch as he went to turn the ball into an empty net and failed in his quest as the ball flashed narrowly wide.

If Bolton's earlier effort was a warning, Gretar Steinsson's was a heart-stopper as his flicked header from a Bolton corner looped over Anders Lindegaard.

Thankfully for the hosts, Rafael had not left his station by the far post and, just as Davies had done from exactly the same position in the first-half, ensured the goal was not breached.

United's second arrived 15 minutes from time, with Welbeck prodding his eighth goal of the season beyond Bogdan after reaching Rooney's lay-off ahead of Sam Ricketts.

The striker took a kick on the back of the leg for his pains, though, and had to be replaced by Javier Hernandez.

But it failed to interrupt the hosts' momentum and, after striding onto Giggs' square pass, Carrick curled a superb left-footed shot past Bogdan from 25 yards.

After successive defeats, it was just what United needed as a confidence booster ahead of a tough sequence of fixtures, starting at Arsenal next weekend, which are likely to determine their chances of retaining the title.

Source: ESPN

Chelsea 1 - 0 Sunderland

The hosts climb to within six points of Tottenham after Frank Lampard finishes off Fernando Torres' brilliant overhead kick on a day the Spaniard provided everything but the goal

Source: goal.com

Heavy program Manchester United

Man United's program for the next couple of months