UNHWildCats
January 11th, 2009, 01:54 PM
MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Manchester United beat a major rival for the first time this season with a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday that moved the defending champions to within five points of the Premier League lead.
Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov scored at Old Trafford to lift the Red Devils to 41 points, just one fewer than second-place Chelsea.
Crucially, though, United's midseason trip to Japan to win the Club World Cup means it has played two matches fewer than both the teams above it. Victories in its next matches against Wigan and Bolton could put United at the top for the first time this season.
United had lost at Arsenal and Liverpool this season and managed just a draw at Chelsea in September, but mostly dominated a Chelsea team has beaten only last-place West Bromwich Albion in its last five Premier League matches.
While the defeat was Chelsea's heaviest for two years, United has not conceded a goal in eight Premier League matches and has the league's best defense with just 10 goals allowed.
"I'm not too bothered what it does to them," United midfielder Ryan Giggs said. "I care about what it means to us."
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9063448
Liverpool (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Liverpool?categoryId=566) missed the chance to go six points clear at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw at Stoke on Saturday.
The gap to Chelsea (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Chelsea?categoryId=559) is now four points, with the Blues away to Manchester United (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Manchester-United?categoryId=568) on Sunday, as Steven Gerrard twice hit the woodwork in the last five minutes.
Neverthless a day after his infamous rant at Manchester United (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Manchester-United?categoryId=568) boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Benitez must have been left speechless at his side's overall performance.
They failed to break down a Stoke side which had failed to win in their previous six league games. Argentina coach Diego Maradona was guest of honour at the Britannia Stadium, no doubt keen to see at first hand visiting midfielder Javier Mascherano, the national team captain.
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9058032/Stoke-City-0-0-Liverpool
Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov scored at Old Trafford to lift the Red Devils to 41 points, just one fewer than second-place Chelsea.
Crucially, though, United's midseason trip to Japan to win the Club World Cup means it has played two matches fewer than both the teams above it. Victories in its next matches against Wigan and Bolton could put United at the top for the first time this season.
United had lost at Arsenal and Liverpool this season and managed just a draw at Chelsea in September, but mostly dominated a Chelsea team has beaten only last-place West Bromwich Albion in its last five Premier League matches.
While the defeat was Chelsea's heaviest for two years, United has not conceded a goal in eight Premier League matches and has the league's best defense with just 10 goals allowed.
"I'm not too bothered what it does to them," United midfielder Ryan Giggs said. "I care about what it means to us."
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9063448
Liverpool (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Liverpool?categoryId=566) missed the chance to go six points clear at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw at Stoke on Saturday.
The gap to Chelsea (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Chelsea?categoryId=559) is now four points, with the Blues away to Manchester United (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Manchester-United?categoryId=568) on Sunday, as Steven Gerrard twice hit the woodwork in the last five minutes.
Neverthless a day after his infamous rant at Manchester United (http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/team/Manchester-United?categoryId=568) boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Benitez must have been left speechless at his side's overall performance.
They failed to break down a Stoke side which had failed to win in their previous six league games. Argentina coach Diego Maradona was guest of honour at the Britannia Stadium, no doubt keen to see at first hand visiting midfielder Javier Mascherano, the national team captain.
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9058032/Stoke-City-0-0-Liverpool