Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, right, stands alongside Chelsea's John Terry during their match.
Rooney’s standout performance,
in which he tested visiting goalkeeper Petr Cech on three occasions,
prompted Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to admit that he could miss out
on a move for the 27-year-old.
MANCHESTER: Wayne Rooney’s headline-grabbing presence couldn’t inspire Manchester United to victory over Chelsea on Monday as the title rivals played out a dull 0-0 draw as the action in the Premier League season’s first big match failed to match the intrigue of the Rooney transfer saga that swirled throughout.
Rooney, though, may have played his way out of a transfer to Chelsea after a committed display.
David Moyes marked his first home game in charge of United with the bold selection of Rooney against a club that has twice lodged unsuccessful offers to sign the England striker this summer, giving a clear message that his club’s message of ‘he is not for sale’ still stood, but he was one of few impressive players on the night.
Rooney’s standout performance, in which he tested visiting goalkeeper Petr Cech on three occasions, prompted Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to admit that he could miss out on a move for the 27-year-old.“I think probably now he thinks he wants to stay,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “If that is his decision, we will respect that and say it is over.”
Chances for both sides were few and far between on a warm evening at Old Trafford as Mourinho opted surprisingly to start with no recognized striker, only bringing on Fernando Torres after the 60 minutes, and was happy to leave with a point that keeps his team unbeaten after three matches in his second spell in charge.
Chelsea are top of the early standings on seven points.
“I think for us, after two home victories, to come to the champions in their first match at home and get a point, I think it’s fine, it’s positive,” Mourinho said.
Rooney, in the unusual position of being cheered by both sets of fans, had a decent chance in the second-half when his right-footed drive forced Petr Cech to dive to his right and his display will have cheered Moyes even though he saw his side refused a second-half penalty following an apparent handball by Frank Lampard.
“It was a tight game,” Moyes, whose side have started their campaign with four points from a possible six, told a news conference.
“We just didn’t quite have the final cross, the final pass tonight but I thought we played very well.”
BENZEMA HELPS UNINSPIRING REAL SECURE VICTORY
GRANADA (Spain): Real Madrid made it two wins in two La Liga outings under Carlo Ancelotti this season when Karim Benzema’s scuffed 10th-minute strike secured an uninspiring 1-0 win at Granada on Monday.
Rumours of Gareth Bale’s impending arrival in Madrid had somewhat overshadowed the build-up to the game, but Real started brightly at Granada’s Los Carmenes stadium thanks to the playmaking of Angel Di Maria which led to Benzema’s goal, but left Granada with the chance to snatch the draw late on.
Real joined defending champions Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal as the only teams to win the first two rounds of the season. Barca top the standings on goal difference, with Real in fifth.
“I am happy. It was an important result,” Ancelotti told a press conference afterwards.
“In the first-half we played very well with a very fast rhythm. The rhythm was slower in the second-half and as a result the game was more difficult.”
FIORENTINA DOWN CATANIA IN OPENER
FLORENCE (Italy): Fiorentina opened their Serie A season in style, beating Catania 2-1 on Monday with goals from Giuseppe Rossi and David Pizarro.
US-born forward Rossi put the Tuscan squad ahead in the 14th minute with his first goal after two years of injuries but Pablo Barrientos, one of nine Argentines in the Catania starting lineup, equalised eight minutes later from close range.
Pizarro then scored the winner for Fiorentina in the 28th while Mario Gomez hit the post on his debut for the Viola after his move from Bayern Munich.
Fiorentina finished fourth last season, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Champions League, and the Viola are aiming to enter the top competition this time around.
