UNITED'S HOPES: Wayne Rooney (left) and Ben Foster have key roles to play at the start of the season.
The traditional curtain-raiser for the Premier League season featured plenty of controversy surrounding an apparent foul by Chelsea’s Michael Ballack that was not called (which subsequently led to a goal), a 90th-minute goal from Wayne Rooney, individual brilliance from United’s Nani, and some sloppy goalkeeping from United’s Ben Foster.
But above all, both Manchester United and Chelsea gave other teams reason to believe that things could be much tighter at the top of the table this season.
Man U Outlook
Manchester United needs to replace the goal production of Cristiano Ronaldo (18 goals last season) and Carlos Tevez (five goals mostly as a substitute). Real Madrid paid $130 million for Ronaldo and Manchester City, England’s version of Real Madrid (in the spending department only) scooped up Tevez for an undisclosed fee.
This means Wayne Rooney, who has set himself a 25-goal target, will be front and center for the defending Premier League champions. Dimitar Berbatov will be manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s first choice to partner with Rooney. It will be interesting to see how much of an opportunity Michael Owen gets up front.
Will Ferguson give Nani the chance to step into Ronaldo’s shadow in the midfield? Most of the talent is there, as is the impetuous nature of a young superstar.
Defensively, United is unchanged, with a strong central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. But goalkeeping could be a concern if Edwin van der Sar, 38, continues to have injury problems. Backup keeper Ben Foster looked very bad on Chelsea’s second goal as he could only flap at Frank Lampard’s shot.
Chelsea's Prospects
Carlo Ancelotti got off to a good start as Chelsea’s new coach. Chelsea is clearly a strong favorite to take the Premier League title, mainly because their squad hasn’t changed much and United can’t be as strong given the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez.
The Blues may not be finished with additions. Rumor has it owner Roman Abramovich is keen on signing Bayern Munich’s French winger Franck Ribery. But when Chelsea comes calling, the offer price starts rising.
Chelsea’s strength under Jose Mourinho was their defense, especially the heart of the defense. In the Community Shield match, central defender Ricardo Carvallho partnered with captain John Terry and, even though United scored twice, this partnership is the best one for the Blues. If Petr Cech has a stronger season in goal than he did last year, it could push Chelsea to the top spot.
Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba were paired up front by Ancelotti. Anelka scored 19 goals last year and Drogba, with a new contract, promised his fans “a good season.” Count on Frank Lampard to reach double digits in goals again this year, and you have a recipe for success.
The battle for the English Premier League title begins with the regular-season openers on Saturday. Both Manchester United and Chelsea have winnable games. The Blues host Hull City, who barely avoided relegation last year. United hosts promoted team Birmingham.
