Winning start for Man Utd

LONDON – Manchester United began the Premier League season with an impressive 2-0 win over Everton but European champions Liverpool had to settle for a 0-0 draw at 10-man Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and former Everton striker Wayne Rooney either side of halftime sealed three fully deserved points for United in the early kick-off at Goodison Park. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard later missed a string of chances at Middlesbrough, whose defender Ugo Ehiogu was shown a 74th-minute red card for tripping Gerrard as he bore down on goal.Yesterday Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-0 through a penalty by Thierry Henry and a goal by Robin van Persie.Newcastle’s Jermaine Jenas was sent off in the first half after a foul tackle.West Ham United enjoyed a winning return to the top flight after a two-year absence when they came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1, helped by a goal from 39-year-old former England striker Teddy Sheringham.Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 at Portsmouth while 10-man Charlton Athletic won 3-1 at promoted Sunderland and Aston Villa drew 2-2 at home with Bolton Wanderers.There were no goals to celebrate though at the Riverside, where nothing went right for Liverpool’s inspirational captain Gerrard.He missed two clear-cut chances with only keeper Mark Schwarzer to beat, first shooting and then heading over the bar, while others also went begging against a gutsy Boro side.BARREN SPELL The day’s action got off to a brighter start at Goodison Park between an Everton team delighted to finish fourth last season and a United side hugely disappointed with third.Everton’s unexpectedly high finish was helped by an April victory over United that ended a 10-year barren spell against their Lancashire neighbours and they started full of energy again on Saturday.However, just as in Tuesday’s 2-1 home Champions League defeat by Villarreal, they reached halftime behind after Van Nistelrooy showed all his old finishing instincts to turn in a low cross in the 43rd minute.The match was decided in the first minute of the second half when Rooney scored his first United goal at his old home since swapping Goodison Park for Old Trafford a year ago.He was gifted the chance by a suicidal square pass by the home side’s centre back Joseph Yobo.West Ham, promoted via the playoffs last season, fell behind to an Andy Todd goal after 18 minutes but Sheringham, the oldest player in the league, levelled in the 46th.Nigel Reo-Coker shot West Ham ahead after 62 minutes and Matthew Etherington completed the victory 10 minutes from time.Tottenham gave their ever-hopeful fans all the encouragement they could when an Andy Griffin own goal and a Jermain Defoe effort gave them all three points at Fratton Park.Kevin Phillips got off to a flying start on his debut for Aston Villa, putting them ahead after four minutes against Bolton Wanderers, but the limelight moved on quickly as three more goals landed in the next five minutes.Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo had Bolton ahead only for Steve Davis to make it 2-2 after just nine minutes of action.There were no such fireworks at Fulham or Manchester City, who drew 0-0 with Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion respectively.-Nampa-ReutersLiverpool captain Steven Gerrard later missed a string of chances at Middlesbrough, whose defender Ugo Ehiogu was shown a 74th-minute red card for tripping Gerrard as he bore down on goal.Yesterday Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-0 through a penalty by Thierry Henry and a goal by Robin van Persie.Newcastle’s Jermaine Jenas was sent off in the first half after a foul tackle.West Ham United enjoyed a winning return to the top flight after a two-year absence when they came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1, helped by a goal from 39-year-old former England striker Teddy Sheringham.Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 at Portsmouth while 10-man Charlton Athletic won 3-1 at promoted Sunderland and Aston Villa drew 2-2 at home with Bolton Wanderers.There were no goals to celebrate though at the Riverside, where nothing went right for Liverpool’s inspirational captain Gerrard.He missed two clear-cut chances with only keeper Mark Schwarzer to beat, first shooting and then heading over the bar, while others also went begging against a gutsy Boro side.BARREN SPELL The day’s action got off to a brighter start at Goodison Park between an Everton team delighted to finish fourth last season and a United side hugely disappointed with third.Everton’s unexpectedly high finish was helped by an April victory over United that ended a 10-year barren spell against their Lancashire neighbours and they started full of energy again on Saturday.However, just as in Tuesday’s 2-1 home Champions League defeat by Villarreal, they reached halftime behind after Van Nistelrooy showed all his old finishing instincts to turn in a low cross in the 43rd minute.The match was decided in the first minute of the second half when Rooney scored his first United goal at his old home since swapping Goodison Park for Old Trafford a year ago.He was gifted the chance by a suicidal square pass by the home side’s centre back Joseph Yobo.West Ham, promoted via the playoffs last season, fell behind to an Andy Todd goal after 18 minutes but Sheringham, the oldest player in the league, levelled in the 46th.Nigel Reo-Coker shot West Ham ahead after 62 minutes and Matthew Etherington completed the victory 10 minutes from time.Tottenham gave their ever-hopeful fans all the encouragement they could when an Andy Griffin own goal and a Jermain Defoe effort gave them all three points at Fratton Park.Kevin Phillips got off to a flying start on his debut for Aston Villa, putting them ahead after four minutes against Bolton Wanderers, but the limelight moved on quickly as three more goals landed in the next five minutes.Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo had Bolton ahead only for Steve Davis to make it 2-2 after just nine minutes of action.There were no such fireworks at Fulham or Manchester City, who drew 0-0 with Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion respectively.-Nampa-Reuters