Booking for Rooney in goalless first half

Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 0

Thomas Sorensen produced a superb fingertip save to deny Park Ji-Sung as Aston Villa held on at Old Trafford despite being totally outplayed by Manchester United.

The visitors managed to keep United at arm’s length for the first 25 minutes but were reliant on Sorensen to ensure they were on level terms at the break, the Dane flying across his goal to push Park’s fierce drive onto the bar.

As usual, Wayne Rooney was at the hub of the hosts’ attack, although the England international blotted his copybook with an ill-advised lunge on former United man Eric Djemba-Djemba which earned the teenager a yellow card.

Djemba-Djemba’s first meaningful contribution was a clumsy barge into Darren Fletcher, allowing United to maintain their offensive, which admittedly, was not bringing them much in terms of clear chances.

Barry held off Van Nistelrooy’s challenge as the Dutchman looked to reach Scholes’ long ball downfield but it was not long before United managed to test Sorensen to the limits.

Van Nistelrooy and Scholes were both involved in the move which saw Park pick up possession inside the Villa area.

After stepping inside, the £4m (€5.9m) signing from PSV Eindhoven unleashed a thunderbolt strike that would have gone in had it not been for the fingertips of Sorensen, who touched it into the bar.

Mellberg blocked Park’s volley as United pressed from the corner, then Whittingham cleared off the line when Rooney’s 20-yard thunderbolt appeared to be heading in.

Another Rooney effort of equal ferocity smashed into Aaron Hughes and United were on top in virtually every one-to-one battle.

Yet still the breakthrough would not come, Sorensen coming out to chest, then volley away from danger as Park raced on to Fletcher’s long ball.

Rooney made the kind of impression he didn’t want when he lunged at Djemba-Djemba having failed to control a routine pass. The tackle earned the teenager a booking.

Scholes drove a Rooney lay-off inches wide from 25 yards, then Mikael Silvestre only found Mellberg as he tried to pull a stoppage time cross back from the by-line.