Manchester United Vs. Bolton Wanderers Score: 1-0 Full Time, Dimitar Berbatov Rescues Points

A loss feels harsh on Bolton, but with all of their squandered chances, they really have no one to blame but themselves. In the grand scheme of things, a loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford by the score of 1-0 isn’t going to change anything in the English Premier League standings, at least in the long term. However, for their opponents, the extra two points gained with their late goal could be absolutely massive in the title race. Still, despite those big two points, this game’s biggest story will be the late red card that Jonny Evans received for his tackle on Stuart Holden, that appears it might have caused a serious injury.

In the first half, both teams probably should have scored a couple of goals without much of a problem. Manchester United were denied the half’s best chance when a sliding Gary Cahill blocked a Javier Hernandez shot in the 10th minute. Cahill put his hand in the air to block the shot, but the official didn’t see and the result was simply a corner.

Fabrice Muamba of Bolton had a number of good shooting opportunities, but he managed to squander every single one of them. On at least four occasions, the defensive midfielder wasted chances to score. There’s probably a good reason he’s a defensive midfielder.

The two teams played a fairly open game, but it looked like Bolton might have found a positive turning point in the 75th minute, when Jonny Evans left his feet and entered a challenge with Stuart Holden, studs up. Evans’ studs made contact with Holden’s knee, and Evans was predictably shown a straight red card. Holden had a large gash on his knee and appeared to be in a considerable amount of pain, but it is not yet known whether or not he is seriously injured.

That moment was not a positive turning point for Bolton, however, and Manchester United ended up looking like a much better team with ten men. For some reason, despite their advantage, Bolton seemed very content with a draw. Even if they weren’t, they might have struggled to score, as their finishing was poor all match. In the 84th minute, Matthew Taylor had a simple header, but he failed to make Edwin Van Der Sar work to save it.

Manchester United would find their winner on the 88th minute, and it came in uncharacteristic fashion. Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen has been consistent and relatively mistake-free for years, but it was his error that led directly to the goal. Nani fired in a shot from the center of the box right to Jaaskelainen, but the ball bounced off his chest, right to substitute Dimitar Berbatov, who entered the game for Javier Hernandez after 45 minutes. Berbatov had an easy finish, and he simply tapped the ball into the back of the net.