Silvestre keeps United on Gunners’ tails

Manchester Utd 1

Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville paid the price for Sunday’s Worthington Cup final failure when they were axed to the bench as Nicky Butt and Quinton Fortune started their first Premiership games since October and November respectively. And there was another central defensive outing for skipper Roy Keane.

United opened brightly although Rio Ferdinand was jeered every time he got the ball by the supporters who used to adore him. But Ferdinand was looking to make an early impact and darted down the right flank to take O’Shea’s lobbed pass, forcing Seth Johnson to concede a corner which Silvestre nodded over the bar.

Ian Harte conceded another corner shortly afterwards, which Veron took this time, planting his cross onto Butt’s head but the England man could not keep his effort on target.

Ruud van Nistelrooy just failed to latch onto Beckham’s through ball as United continued to set the pace, Ferdinand again getting himself involved in a flowing attacking move which ended with a speculative Veron piledriver which crashed into the side-netting.

A piece of trickery from O’Shea saw him leave Johnson for dead but the Irishman wasted his good work by drilling over a cross just too long for Paul Scholes.

The goal United were looking for came on the 20-minute mark, with Beckham the provider from another pinpoint right-wing cross which Butt powered towards the Leeds net.

Robinson did brilliantly to keep it out but with van Nistelrooy, Scholes and a host of Leeds defenders bang in front of him an unfortunate rebound was always likely and it appeared Lucas Radebe was the unlucky man who turned it into his own net.

Leeds were seeing plenty of the ball and had not adopted the defensive approach Alex Ferguson had predicted but neither were they threatening a United rearguard in which Keane again looked rock-solid.

Smith was the first man into referee Graham Poll’s book for a foul on Veron, although the yellow card owed more to a series of petty infringements from the abrasive striker rather than just that one incident.

By chopping down Keane the next time he got near the ball, Smith risked an early dismissal but on this occasion Poll took a lenient view.

Keane intercepted a stray Danny Mills pass then advanced 40 yards downfield before firing a disappointing shot well over the bar.

A Teddy Lucic foul on Scholes gave Beckham the chance to let fly with a long range free-kick but Robinson, made a comfortable save.

Veron and Mark Viduka came limping out of a challenge at one end of the field before Radebe crashed to the floor at the other, Poll declining to award a free-kick on either occasion before eventually stopping play when United’s attacking effort petered out.

The only man to stay off the field was Veron, who was still being treated when Harte struck a swerving effort which Barthez was forced to change direction to stop.

Veron returned but quickly confirmed he could not continue and limped off with what looked like a serious injury, giving Phil Neville a chance to impress.

Scholes was the second man cautioned, hauling Mills back with a rugby tackle before Beckham drifted across the visitors' area before driving a shot back across goal which flashed just wide.

What Leeds lacked in finesse they made up for in physical combat and pushed their opponents back in a stirring five minute period which almost saw Nick Barmby toe home a close range effort.

Smith turned Keane for the first time before being upended on the edge of the area by Butt. It gave Harte the perfect opportunity to slant a cross over the six-yard line where Viduka rose highest to nod the ball past Barthez.

The cheers from the visitors’ section would probably have been heard at Highbury, where they were no doubt echoed. Giggs immediately replaced Fortune.

But Mikael Silvestre won the game for United with his 79th minute goal to keep up the pressure on Arsenal.

MAN UTD: Barthez, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Keane, Silvestre, Beckham, Butt, Veron, Fortune, Scholes, van Nistelrooy.

LEEDS: Robinson, Mills, Lucic, Radebe, Harte, Barmby, Seth Johnson, Okon, Bravo, Viduka, Smith

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire)