MAN UTD 2 X 0 SUNDERLAND
- Rooney scores first goal in nine league games
- Wes Brown sent off instead of John O'Shea
- United win is 11th in 14 home league games
- Black Cats stay three points off relegation zone
Wayne Rooney's penalty helped Manchester United beat Sunderland after the visitors' Wes Brown was sent off in bizarre circumstances at Old Trafford.
Rooney scored after a foul on Radamel Falcao, for which Brown was dismissed and not John O'Shea, despite protests from the visitors.
United added a second when Rooney headed in after Adnan Januzaj's shot was parried into his path.
The victory reasserted the home side's challenge for a top-four place.
United moved up to third place in the Premier League as they claimed an 11th home win out of 14 in the top-flight so far this season.
However, Brown's red card emerged as the talking point as the Old Trafford side finally earned a breakthrough to go with their improved second half urgency.
Falcao controlled an Ander Herrera cross beautifully in the box and, as he turned in between former United defenders Brown and O'Shea, looked to have been pulled by the latter.
Referee Roger East red-carded Brown and, despite the official speaking to his assistants via his headset, his original decision stood. The fourth official for the game was Martin Atkinson, who was criticised for his refereeing when Chelsea drew with Burnley last week.
After the match, the referees' body in English football released a statement claiming East had seen contact from both O'Shea and Brown on Falcao.
It added that East chose to dismiss Brown and not O'Shea because he thought the former had fouled Falcao while he was in the act of shooting.
Coincidentally, East's decision occurred on the same day as video technology trials during competitive matches were put back at least 12 months at a meeting of the game's lawmakers.
While there may be controversy over the sending off, there could be little argument over a result that leaves the Black Cats three points above the relegation zone.
United dominated possession and were initially frustrated by the massed ranks of the visitors, who had gone close to taking an early lead when Connor Wickham's shot was saved by David de Gea.
The home crowd offered a sign of their frustration at their side's failure to find a cutting edge in attack with a chorus of disapproval when a United corner ended up with a back-pass to De Gea.
The home side almost gave the Old Trafford faithful the goal they craved when a Young shot across goal ricocheted off O'Shea and crossbar before Herrera headed wide from the rebound.
A Marcos Rojo shot from a corner was cleared from the goalmouth by Sunderland midfielder Sebastian Larsson and, even though United had 71% of possession in the first half, they could not find a way through.
The ineffective Angel Di Maria was replaced by the lively Januzaj at the break and he powered a shot wide as United began to exert a greater threat.
But the penalty incident gave United the chance to score and Rooney, playing in a forward role, made no mistake as he avoided going nine league games without scoring for the first time since joining from Everton in 2004.
The England striker added a second when he nodded in after Januzaj's shot was parried by keeper Costel Pantilimon.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
Manchester United
- 01 de Gea
- 25 A Valencia Booked
- 12 Smalling
- 06 Evans
- 05 Rojo
- 21 Herrera
- 17 Blind
- 07 Di María (Januzaj - 45' )
- 10 Rooney (Mata - 86' )
- 18 Young
- 09 Falcao (Fellaini - 68' )
Substitutes
- 08 Mata
- 11 Januzaj
- 13 Lindegaard
- 16 Carrick
- 31 Fellaini
- 33 McNair
- 49 Wilson
Sunderland
- 01 Pantilimon
- 15 Réveillere
- 16 O'Shea
- 05 Brown Dismissed
- 03 van Aanholt Booked
- 06 Cattermole
- 11 Johnson (Fletcher - 81' )
- 07 Larsson
- 14 Jordi Gómez
- 10 Wickham (Vergini - 67' )
- 28 Defoe (Graham - 67' )
Substitutes
- 04 Bridcutt
- 09 Fletcher
- 19 Graham
- 22 Coates
- 25 Mannone
- 27 Vergini
- 41 Watmore
Ref: Roger East
Att: 75,344
BURNLEY 0 X 1 SWANSEA
- Swansea complete league double over Burnley
- Burnley have won only once in 11 league games
- They remain in the relegation zone
- Burnley's 45 goals conceded is joint-worst alongside QPR
Swansea moved up to eighth in the Premier League table after a narrow victory over struggling Burnley.
They broke the deadlock in the second half, as Kieran Trippier scored an own goal in failing to clear; Burnley were unable to find a leveller.
Ashley Barnes wasted the best chance of the first half, striking at Swansea's Lukasz Fabianski from close range.
At the other end, Bafetimbi Gomis had an effort smothered by Tom Heaton before flashing a strike wide of goal.
The Clarets picked up an encouraging point at leaders Chelsea last weekend and were unchanged for this match, but could not break down a solid Swansea backline.
Sean Dyche's men have now gone 11 matches without a clean sheet and remain in the relegation zone. They have the joint-worst defensive record in the league this season, conceding 45 goals.
Burnley's next five games |
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Liverpool (a), Man City (h), Southampton (a), Tottenham (h), Arsenal (h)
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The result could prove a significant loss in their battle to escape the drop, as they face sides in the current top seven in their next five games, having won just one of their last 11.
Meanwhile, Garry Monk's men backed up last weekend's win over Manchester United by collecting another three points to reach 40 for the season.
Monk was playing the last time the teams met at Turf Moor - a 2-1 Burnley victory in the Championship in 2011 - and their progress since means qualification for Europe now seems a distinct possibility.
Burnley front man Barnes' name was greeted loudly by the home supporters when read out before kick-off, after a week in which he has received criticism for his tackle on Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
Super Swans |
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40 points after 27 games equates to Swansea's best ever return in a Premier League season.
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And he had the first clear opportunity from inside the six-yard box, which was pushed away by the onrushing Fabianski.
Wayne Routledge poked an effort wide for the Swans, while Gomis was unable to capitalise on his chances.
Barnes struck a volley just wide after neatly setting himself up in the second half, before the opening goal.
Towering striker Gomis flicked on a corner and Jack Cork's shot was superbly kept out by Heaton, but the unfortunate Trippier sliced the ball into his own net.
Substitute Sam Vokes had an flicked effort pushed away by Fabianski, the closest they came to an equaliser.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (0) & SUBSTITUTIONS (5)
Burnley
- 01 Heaton
- 02 Trippier
- 25 Keane
- 05 Shackell
- 06 Mee
- 21 Boyd
- 14 Jones
- 37 Arfield
- 11 Kightly (Vokes - 75' )
- 30 Barnes (Jutkiewicz - 90' )
- 10 Ings
Substitutes
- 04 Duff
- 07 Wallace
- 09 Vokes
- 18 Reid
- 19 Jutkiewicz
- 22 Gilks
- 23 Ward
Swansea City
- 01 Fabianski
- 26 Naughton
- 33 Fernandez
- 06 Williams
- 03 Taylor
- 04 Ki Sung-yueng
- 24 Cork
- 08 Shelvey
- 14 Carroll (Montero - 61' )
- 18 Gomis (Castro Oliveira - 92' )
- 15 Routledge (Amat - 90' )
Substitutes
- 02 Amat
- 07 Britton
- 11 Emnes
- 17 Castro Oliveira
- 20 Montero
- 22 Rangel
- 25 Tremmel
Ref: Jonathan Moss
Att: 17,388
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