Manchester United 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
The Red Devils scrapped and fought for every inch against a stubborn Bolton side before digging out a late goal that could go a long way towards deciding the fate of the title race.
Sir Alex Ferguson began the first of his five-match banishment from the manager's technical area, as his side were set to face a resilient Bolton side aiming to break into the European places. This did not stop the United manager making a few changes to the side that defeated Marseille in the UEFA Champions League earlier in the week.
Antonio Valencia made his first start since suffering a stomach-turning ankle injury against Rangers earlier in the season, while the prolific Mexican, Javier Hernandez, kept top goal scorer Berbatov firmly planted on the bench following his midweek heroics.
His defensive selection woes continued however as Vidic, O'Shea and Ferdinand all watched from the stands after failing to recover from their respective injuries.
A jubilant Bolton arrived at Old Trafford having earned a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup the weekend before and were looking to put a serious dent into United's title hopes.
After an impeccably observed minute of silence for the victims of the disasters in Japan, things got underway at a frenetic pace with both sides looking to put their imprint on the match early on. The first big talking point of the afternoon came following a deep cross from the left that was knocked down into the path of the in-form Hernandez. Hernandez's ensuing shot looked to have been blocked by the arm of a Bolton defender before the referee correctly dismissed the United appeals.
As the first-half wore on the game became increasingly disjointed with both sides failing to establish a solid foothold on the game. This was best exemplified in the 18th minute as Daniel Sturridge went to the sideline for a change in footwear while Sir Alex Ferguson relayed his first set of instructions to his coaching staff via an archaic landline telephone.
Soon after these exotic scenes the game began to swing in Bolton's favor as the tough-tackling midfield trio of Elmander, Muamba and Holden hassled and harried every United player with possession of the ball. Bolton's passing and wing play was admirable and pretty on the eye but failed to deliver any tangible results as the final ball often left much to be desired.
On the other hand Rooney, Hernandez and Nani looked dangerous up front as their active play had the Bolton defense on edge through much of the first-half. This play led to the best chance of the half as some wonderful interplay down the right between Rooney and Nani led to a cut back which Hernandez failed to finish at the near post.
For all Bolton's midfield dominance their best chances were restricted to long distance efforts from outside the box as United's makeshift backline stood strong in the face of their aerial threat. Fabrice Muamba was especially guilty of spurning a host of chances as he shot high and wide on a number of occasions.
The halftime whistle could not have come faster for both sides as United's lack of fluency and Bolton's poor deliveries in the final third were glaring issues that both managers were desperate to address.
Sir Alex made a significant set of changes at the start of the second half as Chicharito and Wes Brown were withdrawn in favor of Dimitar Berbatov and Fabio. This after Hernandez enjoyed a good first half in which he looked dangerous and active. However as is often the deal with legendary managers such as the great Scot all decisions are made for a reason. This would become clear as the match progressed.
The changes saw United come out with greater urgency in the second half with Nani looking especially rejuvenated by the break. For all United's urgency however there was some stalwart Bolton defending. Nani and Rooney were consistently foiled by the defensive tandem of Cahill and Wheater who consistently found a way of getting in a desperate tackle or blocking a goal-bound effort.
With 20 minutes to go in the match the United pressure continued to build as Nani and Rooney's creativity and running continued to give the Bolton defense problems. At this stage Bolton were having trouble leaving their own half as they struggled to keep possession for significant stretches.
But suddenly everything looked set to change. A three minute period between the 74th and 77th minutes changed the complexion of the game just as it had begun to clearly favor one side.
74' Glorious ball through the midfield releases Berbatov but a fantastic tackle as last man from Gary Cahill saves a sure one-on-one as Berbatov was clean through with only the keeper to beat.
75' A 50-50 ball contested between Stuart Holden and Jonny Evans results in a horrendous tackle from the Irish man who receives a deserved straight red for his troubles. Holden is left crumpled on the floor clutching at his knee before being stretchered off with what looks like a season-threatening injury. Matt Taylor is sent on in his place.
78' From the resulting free-kick, the substitute, Taylor hits a grass-cutting curler around the wall which barely goes past Van der Sar's post.
Following the sending off, United came out in even more determined fashion, as if they relished the pressure of being down to ten men, as they cranked up the pressure on the Trotters.
This wave of resilience continued to be led by the good play of Nani and Rooney who combined to create a number of good opportunities for each other. This was especially true for Nani who took every chance to run directly at the Bolton defense before unleashing a number of dangerous drives from distance.
Then the turning point. In a rare foray into the Red Devils' half a dangerous cross from the right found a free Matt Taylor in the box whose header could do nothing more than dust off Van der Sar's gloves. A poor effort that the Trotters would go on to regret.
The final five minutes of this match were all Manchester as Berbatov and Rooney had shots blocked in the area after dangerous crosses from the effective Valencia and electric Nani.
Eventually the pressure told as another inside run from Nani resulted in a powerful shot which Jussi Jaaskelainen could only parry straight into the path of the enigmatic Berbatov. The Premier League's top scorer obliged the United fans as he slid the ball below the hapless Bolton keeper before Old Trafford erupted into a sea of celebration.
With news coming in of Arsenal's failure to win at the Hawthorns the moment struck even greater significance as it swung the fate of the title firmly into United's hands.
Eventually, Bolton lost without even a whimper as their usually effective long ball play lacked conviction and direction. Their desperation play yielded no results for them and left them regretting missed chances from earlier in the match.
They were saved more pain by the sound of the final whistle. Ironically this may be the same whistle that signals the return of the Premier League crown to a triumphant Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Manchester United - Berbatov (87)
Rachel Weisz Miranda Kerr Sarah Shahi Anna Paquin Diane Kruger
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