PRESS BOX VIEW – THE SUN

Last updated : 19 September 2005 By editor

From The Sun:

‘Peter Kenyon’s claim that the Premiership is a one-horse race was strengthened by this dull draw dominated by fear and defences.

Steven Gerrard apart, these two hard-grafting sides offered little of the class needed to unsettle 100 per-cent leaders Chelsea - and the boast of the Blues' chairman.

Liverpool skipper Gerrard sparked a tepid contest into some sort of life after the break, twice going close and twice more teeing up Luis Garcia.

But this stalemate - the first 0-0 between the fierce rivals sides since 1991 - strengthened Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger's contention that negative thinking is stifling the Premiership.

United provided only rare glimpses of fluency or the attacking verve you might expect from a team including Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Van Nistelrooy wasted their most obvious opportunity just before the interval.

But the sight of a subdued Rooney trudging to the touchline near the end as he was replaced by Darren Fletcher summed things up.

The two most successful sides in English football history approached this match knowing only victory would claw back at Chelsea's overwhelming impetus. ‘