Opening Day Blues for United

Chelsea 1-0 United
By Chris O'Brien
August 17 2004

Despite a spirited effort, a depleted Manchester United side got off to a losing start with a 1-0 Premiership defeat at Stamford Bridge. Eidur Gudjohnsen's scrappy first-half strike was enough to separate the two sides, as Jose Mourinho got life in England off to a winning start.

Manchester United's Premiership season got off to a bitterly disappointing, but albeit predictable, start as Chelsea scraped a narrow 1-0 victory over the F.A Cup holders at Stamford Bridge. Eidur Gudjohnsen's scrappy first-half goal was enough to beat a depleted United, but on another day the visitors would have taken at least a point home from the capital.

More to follow...

Full Time - Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
Attendance - 41,813

Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Geremi, Makelele, Lampard, Smertin, Drogba, Gudjohnsen.
Substitutes: Cudicini, Mutu, Kezman, Parker, Ricardo Carvalho.

Manchester United: Howard, Silvestre, Gary Neville, Keane, Fortune, Miller, O'Shea, Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Scholes, Smith.
Substitutes: Ricardo, Phil Neville, Bellion, Richardson, Forlan.