• Date: Sat 18 October 2008
  • Venue: Old Trafford
  • Ref: Halsey, M
  • Attendance: 75,451
Manchester United

Manchester United

Rooney (56)

Ronaldo (69)

Berbatov (72)

Nani (90)

4 - 0

Manchester United vs West Bromwich Albion

Team Lineups

Manchester United

Edwin van der Sar
Rio Ferdinand
Da Silva Rafael (Gary Neville, 65)
Patrice Evra (John O'Shea, 36)
Nemanja Vidic
Darren Fletcher
Ryan Giggs
Cristiano Ronaldo
Wayne Rooney
Dimitar Berbatov
Ji-Sung Park (Luis Carlos Nani, 70)

West Bromwich Albion

Scott Carson
Ryan Donk
Gianni Zuiverloon
Jonas Olsson
Paul Robinson
James Morrison
Jonathan Greening
Chris Brunt
Robert Koren (Luke Moore, 72)
Borja Valero
Roman Bednar (Ishmael Miller, 53)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME: Manchester United 4 - 0 West Brom - The visitors held off the Champions well for the first 45 minutes but Manchester United's class showed through in the second-half as they demolished their opponents.

89
Goal
 

MANCHESTER UNITED 4 - 0 WEST BROM: United go on the counter attack. Giggs and Ronaldo link up before Rooney picks out NANI in the box and he rounds off the move with a neat finish.

88

Miller picks up the ball again and runs at goal. He makes his way from the halfway line almost to the six-yard box before his shot forces a good save out of van der Sar to turn the ball around the post.

86

Ishmael Miller hits a powerful shot out of nothing and comes very close with van der Sar scrambling across to see the ball past his right-hand post.

84

West Brom are playing possession football and Manchester United are just sitting back, they know they've got this game in the bag.

82

Giggs picks out O'Shea with a free-kick but the defender sends his header over the bar.

80

Gary Neville tries to get in on the action with a shot from the corner of the box and Carson has to pull off a fine save to deny the United full-back.

77

Tony Mowbray will be disappointed that his side have conceded three goals in quick succession after such an impressive performance in the first-half.

75

West Brom need to be careful now because the Champions have their tails up and look hungry for more goals.

73
Substitution
 

Robert Koren leaves the field and Luke Moore comes on for Tony Mowbray's side.

72
Goal
 

MANCHESTER UNITED 3 - 0 WEST BROM:Nani makes an immediate impact and gets a cross into the box. It somehow manages to bounce through a bunch of bodies and ends up with DIMITAR BERBATOV who nets his first goal for United with a tap-in from three-yards

71
Substitution
 

Park Ji-Sung makes way for Nani

70
Goal
 

MANCHESTER UNITED 2 - 0 WEST BROM: Rooney slides a pass through through to CRISTIANO RONALDO who gets behind the defence and slides the ball through the legs of Carson and into the back of the net.

67

The game has slowed down a little now and Tony Mowbray, if he wants to get back into this game, may have to think about providing more attacking options for Miller who looks lonely up-front.

64
Substitution
 

Da Silva Rafael makes way for Gary Neville who receives a very warm reception from the home crowd.

61

There is a buzz around Old Trafford every time Rooney picks up the ball. He gets another shot away from the corner of the box and forces a fine save out of Carson.

59

The Champions have really upped the tempo since the break and now they have broken the deadlock it would not be surprising to see them add to the tally.

57
Goal
 

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 0 WEST BROM: United break and WAYNE ROONEY has the ball in the box. He cuts back onto his right foot and drives a shot past a helpless Scott Carson.

56

The ball drops onto the left foot of Berbatov on the edge of the box but he strikes the volley straight down the throat of Carson - he should have done better with that opportunity.

55
Substitution
 

Roman Bednar leaves the field for Ishmael Miller

55

An exciting passage of play from United and Rooney looks really fired up for this game but it is he who ends the move with a poor cross into the box.

53

Rooney gets behind the West Brom defence and hits a powerful shot goal-wards and Carson is at full stretch as he palms the ball away.

51

West Brom are continuing to cope with anything Manchester United come up with despite several flashes of brilliance from Rooney and Ronaldo.

49

United put together an intricate move and Park tries to get a shot away from outside the box but Ryan Donk closes him down and blocks his effort.

47

Berbatov finds Rooney in a good position but he hits a fresh air shot and the chance goes begging.

Second half
 

The second-half is underway and both sides remain unchanged.

Half time
 

HALF TIME: Manchester United 0 - 0 West Brom - The visitors have worked hard throughout the first-half and have given their opponents no room to breathe. The Champions have not worked Scott Carson as much as they would have liked and look frustrated.

44

Ronaldo fizzes a dangerous ball into the box and it evades everyone before whistling past the far post as West Brom breathe a sigh of relief.

42

Dimitar Berbatov has had a quiet half for United and he gets his first shot away from inside the box but it is blocked by Ryan Donk

40
Yellow Card
 

Gianni Zuiverloon picks up the first booking of the game for arguing with the referee.

38

Rooney picks up the ball inside the box with his back to goal but he fails to shake off the West Brom defender and eventually loses possession. Good defending.

36
Substitution
 

It is Patrice Evra who leaves the field clutching his thigh, and John O'Shea will fill in for him at left-back.

35

There seems to be some activity on the Manchester United bench with John O'Shea stripping off his tracksuit.

33

United win a corner and Giggs' delivery causes all sorts of problems in the six-yard box and eventually a West Brom defender has to concede another corner.

31

West Brom are showing a very high work rate at the moment and it is good to see a newly promoted side wanting to play fluent, attacking football.

29

Ronaldo gets another shot away from inside the box but a West Brom defender throws himself in the way of it.

28

Brunt plays through Robert Koren who hurries his shot and sends it well wide of the target to ironic cheers from the home faithful.

26

Ronaldo tries his luck from another free-kick but again he finds the wall with his effort.

23

Ronaldo picks out Rooney in the box but his header is easily saved by Carson.

22

Ronaldo tees up Rooney who shoves Zuiverloon to the ground before chipping the ball over the head of Carson and into the back of the net. He celebrates the goal but the referee pulls play back as he deemed Rooney to have fouled Zuiverloon.

18

Manchester United counter attack through Park Ji-Sung but he is brought down by Jonas Olsson as he crosses the halfway line and the attack comes to an end, much to the frustration of the United players.

17

The Champions are finding it hard to get into attacking situations at the moment. There aren't many sides who come to Old Trafford and manage to have as much possession as West Brom have had so far.

15

Brunt hits an ambitious shot from distance and unsurprisingly fails to trouble van der Sar as the ball sails straight down his throat.

15

West Brom are frustrating their opponents at the moment as they play keep ball amongst themselves, but eventually United regain possession as Roman Bednar is caught offside.

13

Chris Brunt is part of a decent West Brom move but his final ball is poor and rolls straight through to van der Sar.

11

Tony Mowbray's intentions on how to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo are made clear in these opening stages. Zuiverloon is straight in the winger's face every time he picks up the ball and is allowing him no room to breathe.

9

Ronaldo stands over a free-kick in a decent position and he tries his luck with a shot but sends it straight into the wall.

7

Wayne Rooney's corner finds the head of Nemanja Vidic in the box but his header is off target and doesn't trouble Carson.

6

Ronaldo gets to the byline, cuts the ball back and the cross is deflected behind for a corner.

4

Cristiano Ronaldo strides into the box and cuts back onto his favourite right foot but his shot lacks power and it's an easy save in the end for Scott Carson.

2

Gianni Zuiverloon ventures down the right flank and gets into a decent position but his cross sails straight into the arms of Edwin van der Sar

Kickoff
 

Referee Mark Halsey gets the game underway.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

WEST BROM: Carson, Zuiverloon, Donk, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison, Koren, Borja Valero, Greening, Brunt, Bednar. SUBS: Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, Barnett, Miller, MacDonald, Moore

Awaiting Kickoff
 

MAN UTD: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Rooney. SUBS: Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Nani, O'Shea, Evans, Gibson

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Chris Brunt returns for Tony Mowbray's side for their trip to Old Trafford and is the only change to the side that beat Fulham two weeks ago as he takes the place of Ishmael Miller up-front.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Alex Ferguson makes two changes to the side that beat Blackburn last time out. Rafael Da Silva comes in for Wes Brown who drops to the bench and Anderson fails a late fitness check and so is not included in the squad, making way for Park Ji Sung.