i wonder what Avram Grant must be feeling?



the first of many?

94 - FULL-TIME: United claim the points, but Chelsea will take heart from their first game under Avram Grant. Carlos Tevez put United ahead at the end of the first half after John Obi Mikel had been sent off before Louis Saha converted a late penalty.
93 - Could have been three: Saha gets in behind the Chelsea defence, but lashes his volley off target.
90 - GOAL: Saha merely rubs salt into Chelsea wounds as the striker fires his spot-kick straight down the middle to give United a two-goal lead.
89 - PENALTY: Another decision goes against Chelsea as Saha makes a three-course meal of a token challenge from Ben Haim. Contact was very minimal, if there was any at all, and Chelsea will no doubt feel aggrieved again.
84 - Good keeping: From the resultant free-kick, Ronaldo powers his shot through the Chelsea wall, but Cech shows safe hands in wet conditions to gather the shot comfortably.
83 - Yellow card: It's Chelsea captain John Terry's turn to go into the book as he brings down Rooney 25 yards from goal.
80 - Yellow card: Brown is booked for a fierce challenge on Kalou by the touchline.
79 - Substitution: United's goalscorer Tevez is given a break in the closing stages as Louis Saha comes on to build up his match fitness.
76 - Substitution: Grant makes his final change of the game as Claudio Pizarro comes on for Joe Cole after the midfielder was just booked.
75 - Chelsea half-chance: A rare shooting opportunity for Chelsea, but Essien volleys a difficult chance wide of the target.
73 - Yellow card: Joe Cole has his name taken by Dean for a lunge on Ronaldo - possibly a worse tackle than Mikel's as he had no intention of going for the ball.
71 - Boos ring out: United fans whistle after Chelsea keep possession after Dean drops the ball back into play after Rooney took a blow to the head, but nothing comes of the attack, although the boos are not dying down.
69 - Substitution: Chelsea make another change with Shaun Wright-Phillips coming on for the hard-working Florent Malouda.
65 - Cole on a charge: Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole looks the most likely player to inject a spark into the visitors' game, but he goes to ground far too easily after another barnstorming run down the left.
61 - Yellow card: Rooney is booked, seemingly for dissent, by Mike Dean after complaining about being penalised for a nudge on Ashley Cole.
59 - Substitution: Chelsea withdraw Shevchenko from the game, with Salomon Kalou brought on to inject a bit more pace into the visiting attack.
58 - Giggs goes close again: A superb pass from Carrick picks out the well-timed run of Giggs, but the United skipper, while catching the ball cleanly, volleys over the bar as United scent a second goal.
50 - Possession play: United are enjoying a spell of possession in the early stages of the second half, but are yet to go in for the kill.
46 - Back in action: The second half is underway at Old Trafford with no changes from either team at the break, but how will Chelsea do now they are a man down and a goal down?
45 - HALF-TIME: Tevez's first goal for United puts the champions in front at Old Trafford, with Chelsea down to 10 men. Mikel was harshly sent off after 32 minutes, with Chelsea seemingly coping well in their first match under Avram Grant. But Tevez's goal leaves the visitors with a big test in the second half.
45 - GOAL: United take the lead in the third minute of injury-time as Tevez scores his first goal for the club. Brown shows good awareness to head the ball back out to Giggs on the right, who clips in a cross with the outside of his left foot and Tevez darts in at the near post to beat Cech to the ball.
45 - Rooney wasteful: United look to hit Chelsea on a quick break as Evra shows great pace to win the ball, but when the play moves to Rooney, he disappointingly shoots wide from 25 yards.
39 - Vidic chance: The United centre-half, who is always a threat from set-pieces, gets in front of his man to meet Giggs' free-kick, but his header is well saved by Cech.
37 - Settling down: Chelsea, a man down after Mikel's harsh dismissal, try to take the pace out of the game again with a spell of possession. But how will that red card affect the rest of the game?

Worthy of a red card?

32 - RED CARD: Mikel, signed from United by Chelsea without playing a game, has been sent off for a challenge on Evra. He has gone in with studs showing, but a red card looks harsh as it was not high or over the ball.
30 - Near miss from Giggs: A poor clearance from Essien goes straight to Rooney, whose deep cross is side-footed over the bar by Giggs. The United captain should have stooped to head his side into the lead, while Cech storms off to berate Essien.
28 - Tevez tests Cech: From a quick free-kick, Tevez drives in a low shot from just inside the box, with Cech diving to make a good save before collecting the loose ball.
27 - Van Basten in the crowd: The Holland national team coach is in the stands, having been linked with the Chelsea job in the Sunday papers. Surely he knows all about Van der Sar by now?
25 - Clumsy Claude: A rare mistake from Makelele gifts United possession, but Rooney fails to make the most of the pass from Tevez as his shot deflects out for a corner.
23 - Ferdinand OK: Rio appears to have recovered from that early knock and deals comfortably with Ferreira's ball into the box.
17 - Penalty appeal: The first contentious moment of the game as Evra and Joe Cole chase a long ball. Evra gets there just before Cole and the Chelsea midfielder appears to get a piece of the United full-back, and a little of the ball, but not much. Mike Dean is having none of it, though. What do you think?
14 - Sheva sparkles: Great play from Shevchenko on the right, but his good work is let down by Essien, who dithers on the edge of the area as he decides whether to slip in a team-mate or shoot.
13 - Slowing it down: After United's pacey start to the match, Chelsea have sought to take the sting out of their opponents' play. Grant must be relatively pleased with how the opening stages have gone, with the visitors having created one or two good crossing positions.
8 - Essien fizzes one in: The Chelsea midfielder plays a delicious low ball across the face of goal, which is lacking a finishing touch, before Shevchenko fires a shot off target from the angle of the penalty area.
5 - Rio worry: Ferdinand is receiving treatment after seemingly picking up a knock when making a poorly timed challenge by the halfway line. The stretcher is out, but it looks like he is going to try and run it off.
4 - United at a high tempo: Rooney chips the ball into the box and Carrick's glancing header is easily claimed by Cech, while at the other end Ashley Cole puts in a poor cross, although he had few options availlable.
2 - What a save!: Rooney tests both Ben Haim and Cech early as he jinks past the defender before his curling shot is brilliantly pushed away by Cech, similarly to Van der Sar's save from Liedson against Sporting the other night.
1 - Early scare: Chelsea breathe a sigh of relief from a Ryan Giggs corner as Petr Cech slips when coming out for the ball before United's captain wastes his second attempt at a cross.
0 - Kick-off: Chelsea put on a united front before kick-off, with hugs and high-fives between the players, but it is United who get the game underway, attacking the Stretford End.