SC Otelul Galati 0 - 2 Man Utd

Wayne Rooney scored two penalties as Manchester United defeated Otelul Galati although Nemanja Vidic was sent off on his return from injury. After a low-key first half, Rooney's cross was handled by Sergiu Costin and the striker scored after 64 minutes. United went down to 10 men two minutes later as Vidic was harshly shown red for a foul on Gabriel Giurgiu. Otelul's Milan Perendija received a second yellow late on before Rooney struck after Antal fouled him.

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 0

Arsenal blew the Premier League title race wide open as leaders Manchester United were deservedly beaten at the Emirates Stadium.Aaron Ramsey's winner early in the second half condemned United to defeat and leaves them only three points ahead of Chelsea with identical goal difference - and a meeting between the two to come at Old Trafford next Sunday.Forced to rebuild his promising career after suffering a broken leg, Ramsey made the most of a chance to deputise for injured captain Cesc Fabregas with a goal that will have been met with almost as much joy at Stamford Bridge as it was in front of Arsenal's fans.

Victory was well-earned reward for their superiority against a United side that never looked like repeating the heroics of their Champions League semi-final first leg victory against Schalke 04 on Tuesday in Germany.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger must have thought the fates had conspired against him when they were denied a clear first-half penalty after Nemanja Vidic handled Theo Walcott's cross.

But the game concluded with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson angry at referee Chris Foy after substitute Michael Owen was hauled down in the area by Gael Clichy in the closing moments, only to have his appeals ignored.It is a win that has probably come too late to revive Arsenal's own title aspirations, but one which gives Chelsea real hope that they can retain their crown if they can beat United next week.
Ferguson cut a frustrated figure throughout, a mood matched by his players as they rarely got to grips with an Arsenal side they have enjoyed so much success against in the recent past.
Arsenal lost Fabregas to a thigh injury sustained in training on Saturday - but his absence did not stop the Gunners dominating a first half that concluded with them nursing an acute sense of injustice.

 FERGUSON DEMANDS 25mins INJURY TIME

Vidic, a central figure in every sense, was fortunate not to be punished for an uncharacteristic error after only three minutes.In attempting to clear, he only succeeded in finding Jack Wilshere and was relieved to see the teenager pull his effort inches wide.
And Walcott could not keep a close-range shot under control as he stretched to meet Clichy's cross, sending it well over the top of Edwin van der Sar's crossbar.
United have had joy against Arsenal in the past by lying deep before striking with devastating effect on the counter attack.
And they almost delivered a sucker punch in the face of Arsenal's early superiority when Fabio da Silva burst into the area unmarked, but was unable to find Javier Hernandez.

Arsenal, with justification, were furious just after the half-hour when Vidic clearly used his hand to direct Walcott's cross away from the incoming Robin van Persie - an offence missed by the officials.
England striker Wayne Rooney's main contribution had been a yellow card for fouling England team-mate Wilshere just before the interval.He did show his enduring quality with a curling 25-yard free-kick after 48 minutes, but the previously unemployed Wojciech Szczesny was equal to the task with a diving save.Arsenal finally got the goal they had merited after 56 minutes, Ramsey sliding a low finish into the corner of the net from Van Persie's incisive cut-back.United, thoroughly out of sorts, replaced Anderson with Antonio Valencia moments before the goal.They did muster a response, however, when Vidic rose highest from a corner to head just wide.And in a belated show of urgency by United, Szczesny was then forced to save well from Nani after Rooney had driven deep into the Arsenal half in a bid to lift his team-mates from their slumbers.With three minutes left Ferguson and United's players were reduced to a fury as Owen was brought down from behind by Clichy as he raced into the area.Referee Foy, much to Ferguson's obvious disgust, was unimpressed.It was Arsenal's last anxious moment before closing out a win that leaves the title potentially on the line when United confront champions Chelsea, who narrowly beat Tottenham 2-1 on Saturday.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:Shalke 0 Manchester United 2

Schalke 04 0 - 2 Manchester United - Semifinal... by m4yed

Newcastle 0 Manchester United 0

Newcastle United denied Manchester United the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points.Arsenal will still feel there in with a chance after United failed to extend their lead despite enjoying large chunks of play they rarely extended the Newcastle rearguard.The first ten minutes were frenetic as the Toon dominated and created a couple of decent chances as the visitor’s were penned back inside their own half.Yet United almost took the lead in the first minute but keeper Tim Krul bravely dived to prevent the ball reaching Wayne Rooney.The Reds remain unbeaten at St James’ Park since 2001 and in truth Newcastle fully deserved the point gained which eases their own lingering relegation worries.United gradually gained control as the game wore on but the best chance fell in the second half to Ryan Giggs who dragged his effort wide after being set up by Patrice Evra and then in the final minute Rooney headed past the post.In truth Newcastle frustrated United who for once lacked quality in the final third of the field.The home side also had a good claim for a penalty after the break when Anderson brought down Peter Lovenkrands but the perfectly positioned Lee Probert was unimpressed.Michael Owen came on as a substitute for the Reds and was roundly booed by the Toon supporters for his disappointing stay on Tyneside.United have still only won only five games on their travels this campaign and have yet to win back-to-back away games and from Sir Alex Ferguson’s point of view this will be seen as two point’s dropped.

Rooney Ban Upheld

Manchester United have expressed their disappointment at confirmation Wayne Rooney must serve a two-match ban for his four-letter reaction to scoring a hat-trick at West Ham on Saturday.However, the Red Devils are vowing to put the storm of controversy behind them in their Treble quest.The Football Association confirmed this morning that Rooney had failed in an effort to reduce a two-match suspension, meaning he will miss Saturday's Premier League encounter with Fulham, plus the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City at Wembley on April 16.'Manchester United is clearly very disappointed with the decision,' said a statement issued by the Old Trafford outfit.'The club put forward a very strong case to have the punishment reduced, which was unsuccessful.'Wayne apologised immediately after the match and the club now wishes to move to on to what hopefully will be a very exciting conclusion to the season.'The FA opted not to release the outcome of Wednesday's disciplinary hearing immediately following a request by Manchester United, who did not wish to suffer any disruption to their preparation for last night's Champions League encounter with Chelsea when Rooney scored the only goal of the first leg encounter.

'A Regulatory Commission has suspended Manchester United's Wayne Rooney for two matches,' read a statement issued by the FA.

'Rooney had admitted a charge for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language, but claimed that the automatic penalty of two games was clearly excessive.

'The Commission did not accept the claim and Rooney will begin the standard two-match suspension with immediate effect.

'The charge relates to an incident during his side's fixture with West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground (Upton Park) on Saturday 2 April 2011.'

At least Rooney will be eligible to play in the return leg against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

However, his absence is a blow to Ferguson, particularly for the City encounter given the 25-year-old's remarkable winner against them in February.

The FA will view it as a watershed moment for their hopes of improving player behaviour, whilst it is another blow to Rooney's image, even if sources close to the player have been anxious to distance confirmation of a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola not being renewed last year with lurid allegations about his private life.

And United team-mate Rio Ferdinand has also rallied to Rooney's cause, insisting it is now time to call off the 'lynching' of his friend.

'We should follow him as a footballer rather than keep lynching him for a lot of the stuff that goes on,' he said.

'I wouldn't say he is innocent in a lot of the stuff that has happened but sometimes because of the player he is and who he is the reaction can be over the top.

'Wayne Rooney swearing on TV, as much as I don't condone it, is not front page news.

'There are bigger things going on in the world. There are things happening in Libya and Ivory Coast and we are talking about Wayne Rooney on the front page of newspapers because he swore at a camera.

'I don't condone it but because it is him everyone goes over the top.

'I don't feel sorry for him. He thrives off the attention.

'But he thrives off football attention rather than the stuff on the outside.

'He loves playing football. That's what he wants to be judged on and talked about.'

Chelsea 0 Manchester United 1

Wayne Rooney was a TV star once more tonight - this time for all the right reasons as his clinical first-half goal gave Manchester United a Champions League triumph over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Rooney went into the quarter-final first-leg tie still not knowing what his punishment will be for the four-letter outburst at West Ham on Saturday.But the uncertainty didn't affect him as he took full advantage of a superb piece of skill by Ryan Giggs to give United their first win at Stamford Bridge in 2002 and put them in pole position to reach the semi-final at Old Trafford next week.Chelsea are not out of it.Indeed, a repeat of the 2-1 success on their last trip to Old Trafford 12 months ago will be enough to send through.
However, they will have to do far better in front of goal - and £50million man Fernando Torres in particular must start scoring after yet another ineffective display ended with an injury-time yellow card for diving.
At Upton Park on Saturday, Rooney completed his hat-trick, then headed straight towards a TV camera to deliver his ill-advised reaction that threatens his place in the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City.
As his first-time effort caressed the base of Petr Cech's left-hand post and rolled gently into the back of the Chelsea net, he again ran towards the lens.This time, he stopped short, slid to his knees and waited to be mobbed by ecstatic team-mates.They had every right too, especially Ryan Giggs given his outrageous contribution.Now 37, Ferguson has claimed the veteran Welshman could go on for a couple of years yet.
How the United boss must hope that is true.Having watched Michael Carrick deliver a pinpoint crossfield pass that was sensational in itself, Ferguson could only sit back and admire Giggs' sublime first touch, which took him careering past the stranded Jose Bosingwa, and the coolness of his second, which left Rooney with a tap-in.Cue delirium amongst the United contingent, satisfaction for Rooney and the precious away goal Ferguson had demanded.Carlo Ancelotti could only urge his team - who had started the brighter - into some kind of response.It should have come in the final minute of that opening period.Drogba went for goal from an acute angle but his shot lacked power.Torres closed in, yet somehow completely missed the ball from a central position on the edge of the six-yard area.As the ball bounced back off the post, Frank Lampard went to tap home, only for Patrice Evra to clear off the line.Given Saturday's draw at Stoke and Inter Milan's stunning demise to Schalke in the San Siro last night, it is hardly overestimating the situation to say Carlo Ancelotti's job hangs on reaching the final, and for that Torres needs to do what Roman Abramovich paid all that money for.United suffered a hammer blow within minutes of the restart when Rafael went down after a seemingly innocuous tangle with Drogba.The young Brazilian bravely tried to continue but the pain in his left knee made it impossible, the stretcher carrying him away for what looks like a lengthy period.
Ferguson's response was typical. With no obvious right-back replacement, instead of introducing a defender, in Chris Smalling or Jonny Evans, he went for Nani, asking Antonio Valencia to plug the gap.
Chelsea were able to get up a head of steam though.Ramires wasted an excellent chance when he glanced Drogba's effort wide of the far post.The Ivorian himself was not too far away with a speculative overhead kick.United's defence - which has not conceded an away goal in this competition this season - held firm and came agonisingly close to grabbing a second when Nani drilled a cross to the far post that would have allowed Javier Hernandez to head into an empty net had Cech not gambled in a desperate attempt to claw the ball away from the Mexican.The departure of Drogba for Nicolas Anelka 20 minutes from time placed even more weight on Torres' shoulders just after Michael Essien had gone close for the hosts.
And the Liverpool man so nearly responded when he rose to meet Jose Bosingwa's far-post cross and sent a header curling towards the corner that Van der Sar, troubled by a groin problem, was at full stretch to claw away.United then breathed a sigh of relief in stoppage time when Patrice Evra sent Ramires tumbling but referee Alberto Mallenco failed to award what seemed to be a clear penalty.
There was still time for a Torres yellow card for diving under Valencia's challenge, ending yet another unhappy night for the Spain star.

Wayne Rooney faces two-match ban

Wayne Rooney faces a two-match ban from the Football Association for using offensive language during Manchester United's 4-2 win at West Ham.The United striker swore into a pitchside camera after completing his hat-trick at Upton Park.The England international has until 1800 BST on Tuesday to launch an appeal against the FA charge.If he accepts it, he will receive a two-match ban but United could look to ask for that to be halved by the FA.If Rooney denies the charge, a hearing will take place on Wednesday.A one-match ban would result in the United star miss Saturday's Premier League game at home to Fulham, while a two-match suspension would also rule him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley on 16 April.Rooney quickly apologised for his actions after the victory which moved United seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The 25-year-old was influential in earning the three points for the Red Devils as he grabbed his three goals in 14 minutes to help his side recover from 2-0 down.In a statement released by United on Saturday, the striker said: "I want to apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my goal celebration, especially any parents or children that were watching."Emotions were running high, and on reflection my heat-of-the-moment reaction was inappropriate. It was not aimed at anyone in particular."Although Professional Football Association deputy chief executive John Bramhall described Rooney's actions as "disappointing", he said the player acknowledged his responsibility by issuing a swift apology."Taking into account the highly pressurised situation within the game, it is still an action that wasn't acceptable and Wayne's apology confirms that," Bramhall told BBC Radio 5 live."He has apologised immediately after the game and has clearly realised that they are not the actions you would expect of a player in his position."United team-mate Rio Ferdinand urged the media to show leniency towards Rooney through his Twitter account on Sunday.The defender called for newspapers and radio "to give Wayne a break" adding "he knows what he did was wrong".Ferdinand said he had spoken to Rooney and the United forward was "genuinely sorry".FA rules state: "A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour."

Man Utd 2 - 0 Arsenal

Manchester United piled on the agony for Arsene Wenger as Arsenal's rapidly deteriorating season took another blow with defeat in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.
Fabio da Silva and Wayne Rooney struck in each half to take Manchester United to Wembley with a victory that sent Arsenal crashing out of a third major competition inside a fortnight.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who rounded defiantly on his critics in his programme notes, demanded a response from United after Premier League defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool - and a team that inlcuded seven defenders in a reshuffled starting line-up delivered the win he craved.
Arsenal followed the predictable pattern of many recent meetings with United by controlling possession for long periods only to fail to take advantage, ensuring an FA Cup exit followed the Carling Cup Final defeat to Birmingham City and the contentious Champions League loss to Barcelona.

And when they did pierce United's rearguard, they found veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in outstanding form to deny Robin van Persie in the first half, as well as saving well from Laurent Koscielny, Marouane Chamakh and Tomas Rosicky after the interval.
Gunners boss Wenger's problems increased as defender Johan Djourou was stretchered off late on after he appeared to collide with team-mate Bacary Sagna as he attempted to stop Javier Hernandez adding a third for United.Ferguson will be satisfied that United's season has moved closer to being back on course with a vital triumph and the boost of a Wembley appearance, but counterpart Wenger cut a dejected and despairing figure at the final whistle.

Arsenal still have the Premier League title to aim for, but Wenger must sift through what may well be heavy psychological blows to his players as three targets have been removed from their sights in swift succession.
Wenger always hails the mental strength contained within Arsenal's squad - and that faith and resolve will now be tested to the full after a nightmare spell.Ferguson's starting line-up carried an unfamiliar look - but his side performed in highly effective fashion, despite Arsenal enjoying a large share of possession in the first 45 minutes.Brazilian brothers Rafael and Fabio were relieved of their familiar defensive duties and utilised wide on the flanks, a ploy that should have brought United an early lead. Fabio's cross from the left was an open invitation for Rafael to score but he headed wastefully over the top from close range.

Fabio did not make the same mistake when presented with the chance to give United a crucial advantage after 27 minutes. Rooney's delicate cross was met by Hernandez and when his header was pushed out by Manuel Almunia the youngster slid in to prod the rebound into the roof of the net.
Van Persie led the Arsenal response with a low angled effort that was turned around the post by Van der Sar, then heading just wide from the resulting corner.There was a welcome sight for United and their supporters at the start of the second half as Antonio Valencia returned as a substitute for the first time since breaking his leg in the Champions League tie against Glasgow Rangers at Old Trafford in September.United keeper Van der Sar kept them on terms with an instinctive double save right after the break, twice denying Koscielny after he linked with Van Persie inside the area.The value of Van der Sar's saves was quickly illustrated as Rooney doubled United's lead shortly after. Rafael was instrumental with a surge into the area and when another Hernandez effort was blocked Rooney pounced to head home.Arsenal once again resumed territorial advantage but simply could not find a way past Van der Sar, who distinguished himself with further fine saves from substitute Chamakh's header and Rosicky's swerving 20-yard shot.
As Arsenal pushed forward in desperation, they inevitably left spaces at the back and United almost cashed in as Almunia clawed out a shot from Hernandez.
Defender Djourou was injured in the scramble and was stretchered off after lengthy treatment - during which he was given oxygen - that left eight minutes of stoppage time.
Manchester United substitute Paul Scholes enlivened proceedings with a needlessly hot-headed cameo that brought a yellow card and a separate rebuke from referee Chris Foy, but nothing could take the gloss off United's win as they sealed their place in the last four of the FA Cup.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Man Utd

Chelsea kept their faint Premier League title hopes alive and damaged Manchester United's own ambitions as they came from behind to beat the leaders at Stamford Bridge.United looked well set to extend their lead over Arsenal after Wayne Rooney - who Sir Alex Ferguson admitted was fortunate to be playing after escaping further punishment for elbowing Wigan's James McCarthy on Saturday - gave them a deserved interval advantage.Chelsea, who left Didier Drogba on the bench as coach Carlo Ancelotti favoured Fernando Torres, staged a stirring fightback to keep United in their sights on a night when nothing other than victory would have kept them in contention.

David Luiz volleyed the equaliser early in the second half and Frank Lampard's disputed penalty secured three priceless points ten minutes from time after Chelsea substitute Yuri Zhirkov clashed with Chris Smalling.
Ferguson was incensed as referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot - and United's sense of injustice deepened when Nemanja Vidic was sent off in stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Ramires, ruling him out of the visit to Liverpool on Sunday.
Luiz was Chelsea's stand-out performer, although Ferguson also had a case when he questioned how the £21m defender escaped a red card after the break for a hack at Rooney having already been booked.
This was a wonderful advert for the Premier League with both Chelsea and United intent on all-out attack - but Ferguson will be concerned at how his side lost their way after controlling much of the first period imperiously.

Chelsea remain rank outsiders to retain their crown and still lie 12 points adrift of United, but Ancelotti will regard this as a performance that supports his insistence that they can still have a say when the major prizes are handed out this season.
United boss Ferguson named an unchanged line-up for the first time in 165 games - and his faith in the players who won 4-0 at Wigan Athletic was amply rewarded with a hugely impressive first-half performance.
Chelsea opened brightly, with Torres prominent, and Florent Malouda should have done better than shoot straight at Edwin van der Sar from the edge of the area after being played in by Nicolas Anelka.
United, however, settled swiftly to their task and Patrice Evra exchanged passes with Javier Hernandez before just failing in an attempt to find the unmarked Rooney at the far post.
Rooney's every touch was jeered by Chelsea's fans, who revelled in a header that flew wildly off target before erupting in fury when he barged Ramires to the ground - but the taunts were to be silenced in emphatic fashion on the half hour.

He collected possession from Nani before sending a low, powerful drive past Petr Cech, from 20 yards before celebrating in front of Chelsea's fans in the Matthew Harding Stand.
Chelsea's early momentum had all but disappeared as United controlled affairs in midfield while keeping the threat of Torres and Anelka under control after their early promise, although it took fine work from Van der Sar to prevent them drawing level six minutes before half-time.
Lampard's free-kick was pushed out by the United keeper, who recovered brilliantly to claw away the loose ball as Branislav Ivanovic attempted to bundle the rebound over the line.
Chelsea needed a quick response and it came within nine minutes of the restart when Ivanovic touched on Michael Essien's corner for Luiz to send a thunderous volley low past the motionless Van der Sar.
With the game thrown wide open, both managers made positive changes as Ancelotti sent on Drogba for Anelka and Ferguson replaced Javier Hernandez and Paul Scholes with Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs.
Chelsea look to have acquired an outstanding talent in Luiz but there are still rough edges to be smoothed out and he was fortunate to stay on the pitch after crudely clattering Rooney having already been booked.
Ferguson remonstrated furiously with the officials in the aftermath of that challenge - and his mood darkened even further when Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Zhirkov tangled with Smalling in the 80th minute.
The young defender clearly felt he could not avoid Zhirkov but the protests were all to no avail as Lampard slammed the penalty past Van der Sar.
And Zhirkov nearly added the third almost immediately with a shot from the edge of the area that was unwittingly deflected on to an upright by Vidic.
United's evening then ended on a desperate note as Vidic pulled Ramires back on the edge of the area and was sent off - meaning his removal from the defence for the testing trip to Anfield.