In dramatic fashion, Manchester United stumbled to a 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. After recently falling out of favor with Sir Alex Ferguson, Dimitar Berbatov came on at halftime and proved that he still will play a vital role in United’s title run-in with poacher’s finish to seal the Reds win over the Trotters.
Even though the Bulgarian scored his league-leading 20th goal, was it enough for him to earn Man of the Match honors for the Reds?
Edwin van der Sar – 6
Another reliable performance by the retiring United goalkeeper, van der Sar’s positioning and prowess made him very hard to beat.
Wes Brown – 5
Withdrawn at halftime because of an injury, but to be honest, Brown offered very little helping to organize the back-four.
Chris Smalling – 6
Becoming a fixture in the center of United’s defense, Smalling continued to grow in stature with a decent performance against a dynamic Bolton attack.
Jonny Evans – 4
With little option, Ferguson gave Evans the start in the back-four, but his day at the office only lasted 76 minutes for careless, studs-showing tackle.
Patrice Evra – 6
With timely interventions and ability to ask questions at the other end, it was another sturdy performance from Evra, who was again the United captain in Nemanja Vidic’s absence.
Antonio Valencia – 6
Completed his first 90 minutes since returning from his leg break, Valencia did well and showed that he must be able to operate on both sides of the field.
Ryan Giggs – 6
Given a more central role, Giggs did not put in a stellar performance against Bolton because Stuart Holden Fabrice Muamba made sure that he was quarantined in the center of the park.
Michael Carrick – 8 (Man of the Match)
He is often criticized for not being a robust midfielder, but against Bolton, Carrick showed that he does have that ability, and his versatility, saw him seamlessly fit in the heart of United’s defense as well.
Nani – 7
With his every move being shadowed by Gretar Rafn Steinsson, Nani struggled to create as much as he does, but he still managed to stamp his imprint on the final outcome.
Wayne Rooney – 7
In a favored, more withdrawn role, Rooney’s performances has seen his performance be more alive and influential.
Javier Hernandez – 6
Despite not putting a foot wrong and challenging the Bolton back-four, Chicharito was withdrawn at halftime by the manager.
Substitutions
Dimitar Berbatov – 6
After spending the majority of the last three matches on the cold substitutes’ bench, Berbatov was in the right place at the right time to poke home the winner.
Fabio – 6
Came on as another halftime change, Fabio put in another enthusiastic performance and offered more going forward than Brown.
Overall – 7
Bolton are continuing to show progress this season under Owen Coyle, but Manchester United showed their class, resolve and desire to see off their Greater Manchester rival in a very difficult Barclays Premier League match.
Video Highlights
Submitted by The United Religion
