ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Bolton Wanderers 0 Manchester Utd 4:AS MANCHESTER United check in for their breakfast-time flight to Munich this morning, the Chelsea players will be enjoying a lie-in at their baronial homes in Surrey, reflecting that even the funereal cloud that rained on their European parade may have a silver lining after all.
By common consent, the summit meeting between the two teams at Old Trafford on Saturday is almost certain to decide which of these monolithic giants goes on to win the Premier League, and while United have the slenderest of leads, Chelsea take heart from the contrasting preparations.
United will inevitably be wearied to some degree by their trip to Bavaria to renew old acquaintance with Bayern Munich in the Champions League tomorrow. Their title rivals, meanwhile, have a free week in which to plot and plan for the biggest match of the domestic season.
Both had emphatic victories at the weekend, and their form is such that, with six games left, it would be no great surprise if they each won the last five, in which event Saturday’s titanic joust would tip the scales.
Chelsea, after routing Aston Villa 7-1 and rattling five past poor, stricken Portsmouth, have put their Champions League elimination by Internazionale firmly behind them, and see their clear week as a psychological advantage. It is a belief buttressed by United’s travails after their exertions in Europe, Carlo Ancelotti and company having caught them jaded once already, in November.
Recovery has been a problem for the league leaders all season. They beat Wolfsburg, then could only draw at home to Sunderland. The long journey to and from Moscow, to play CSKA, left them easy prey for a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, and straight after the return with CSKA they lost 1-0 at Chelsea.
A 3-1 win in Wolfsburg was followed by defeat at home to Aston Villa and, coming up to date, the euphoria that attended that 3-2 triumph in Milan was immediately punctured by a 3-1 loss to Everton.
The omens, then, are ominous, and it was with this record in mind Alex Ferguson rested Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick at Bolton on Saturday.
Bolton Wanderers are much improved under Owen Coyle, witness recent victories over Wigan Athletic, West Ham United and Wolves. United, however, are a class apart from the make-do-and-menders of the table’s bottom half, as Coyle admitted. “We have to remember they have better players,” he said. “If we both played to our maximum, then United would always win.”
On a positive note, he added: “I know what I’m doing, and we are progressing. We were in the bottom three when I came in and we haven’t spent any money, but we have managed to elevate ourselves to a better position.”
No expenditure to date, but Bolton have acquired the 18-year-old Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal, and the midfield prodigy looked entirely at home on the same pitch as Nani, Giggs, Scholes et al. Coyle, like Arsene Wenger, believes the young man from Stevenage will play for England one day, and both expect him to continue his education back at the Emirates next season.
Bolton began well, Johan Elmander testing Edwin van der Sar. Elmander was to suffer a head wound, requiring four stitches, in collision with a careless elbow from Nemanja Vidic, who was immense throughout.
Coyle called it “a terrible challenge”, adding: “Vidic has caught him with an elbow. There was blood pouring out of it.”
But the referee saw nothing remiss and TV replays suggest it would be hard to prove intent.
Coyle had more pressing matters to concern him after 38 minutes, when Bolton were undermined by an own-goal, Jlloyd Samuel turning a centre from Ryan Giggs past his goalkeeper.
With 11, “og” is only one behind Dimitar Berbatov as United’s second-highest scorer.
Still, Coyle’s charges seemed capable of gaining a draw, but just before half-time Van der Sar denied Fabrice Muamba with a high-class save, and midway through the second half another self-inflicted wound proved fatal. Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made a hash of Darren Fletcher’s shot from the edge of the D, leaving Berbatov with little more than a tap-in.
Bolton’s resistance was broken and Nani, in particular, took advantage, setting up Berbatov and Darron Gibson, on for Fletcher, for numbers three and four.
“Stand up for the champions” chorused the red – or rather green and gold – legions, who could be accused of singing too soon. When Saturday comes, we will all have a better idea.
Guardian Service
