Fellaini masterclass downs United

Fellaini masterclass downs United

Marouane Fellaini capped a brilliant performance with the only goal of the game, as Everton began the season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

The midfielder was a persistent threat with his aerial presence and linked the play cleverly, as United struggled for rhythm. He headed the winner early in the second-half.

Robin van Persie, who joined United last week from Arsenal, replaced Danny Welbeck after 68 minutes but was ineffective, as was Wayne Rooney, who looked as off the pace as he had during the Euros.

Everton had the better of a lively first-half, and only a string of saves from David de Gea prevented them going in ahead at the break.

He denied Nikica Jelavic at his near post after a clever through-ball from Leon Osman, pushed away a low Steven Pienaar curler and parried a ferocious Osman shot on the turn after Fellaini had won the knockdown.

Fellaini had earlier hit the post from a narrow angle after turning Luis Antonio Valencia, operating as a fill-in right-back.

United had Michael Carrick playing at centre-back in a line-up that lacked natural ball-winners.

Shinji Kagawa was involved only fleetingly, but he laid in Welbeck after 38 minutes, the forward hooking wide under pressure from Phil Jagielka. That and a Rooney free-kick that Tim Howard pushed wide low to his right were United’s only real chances of the first-half.

Fellaini continued to dominate in the air. Three minutes into the second-half, Tony Hibbert crossed from the right, the Moroccan headed down, and Osman lashed against the bar.

The goal arrived 12 minutes into the second-half, with Fellaini climbing above Carrick to head in a right-wing corner.

Midway through the second-half, Kagawa intelligently laid the ball back for Cleverley, whose shot was cleared off the line by Jagielka. United pressed late on, but aside from one Kagawa half-chance that ballooned over off Howard, they rarely looked like finding an equaliser.