United leave it late, Chelsea frustrated

A late Steven Reid own goal earned Premier League champions Manchester United FC a 2-1 opening-day victory against West Bromwich Albion FC after rivals Chelsea FC had played out a goalless stalemate at Stoke City FC.

United began the match strongly and took a 13th-minute lead when Wayne Rooney latched onto an Ashley Young pass and drove a shot on the turn past Ben Foster. Nani twice sent close-range efforts over the bar before West Brom equalised, debutant Shane Long beating David De Gea (37) with a shot that crept under the Spanish goalkeeper.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who subsequently lost both centre-backs Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand to injury, then grabbed a winner (81) when Young broke through to fire a low strike that Reid deflected past Foster.

Earlier on, André Villas-Boas's hopes of getting his reign as Chelsea manager off to a winning start were dashed by an obdurate defensive display from Stoke. Though Fernando Torres, preferred in the lineup to Didier Drogba, looked lively throughout the goalless draw, Tony Pulis's rearguard held firm. The closest the UEFA Europa League hopefuls came to conceding was when Asmir Begović tipped a 72nd-minute shot by Nicolas Anelka onto the bar.