Moves from the Eredivisie to the Premier League are always interesting. Sometimes players just cannot make the adjustment to the step up in quality even if they were scoring every week for their previous club. For example Mateja Kezman could not translate his PSV Eindhoven form to Chelsea - as he scored just four Premier League goals - and more recently Bryan Ruiz failed as one of Fulham's biggest ever signings.
Other times, however, a player can perform as if he never even moved leagues. See Dennis Bergkamp who, with a short spell in Italy in between, moved from Ajax to Arsenal to become one of the Gunners' most influential players of recent times. Then, of course, you have Ruud van Nistelrooy, who on this day in 2004 scored his 100th (and 101st) goal for Manchester United.
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At the time the league was looking like a two-horse race. United were two points behind the Gunners with Chelsea - who played the following day - seven points back. Into the second half of the season the table very rarely lies and wins away to the likes of Everton, who were struggling in the bottom half are key for the top teams to continue their momentum.
This game, at half time, appeared to be a walk in the park for the Red Devils, but by the end they needed Van Nistelrooy's 101st, not just his 100th, goal to claim the three points in what turned out to be a classic at Goodison Park. After cruising, United in the end had to scrap for what was at the time a big three points in the title race.
In the opening 45 minutes the Toffees defence looked more like honey, as United's front line ran rampant. The opening goal form Louis Saha - a January signing from Fulham - was early, but still came after Paul Scholes had crashed a strike from distance against the post. Saha was having the season of his career and made no mistake in rifling in a strike from a Mikael Silvestre through-ball.
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Van Nistelrooy had already managed to miss a sitter, after blazing over from Scholes's earlier attempt. However, Everton were out of luck if they thought that the Dutchman would have a rare off day. If the defence were not too much at fault for the first, they could have no excuses for the second. Van Nistelrooy was one player that you cannot allow a free run into the box and they were duly punished.
The 2-0 lead became 3-0 just before half-an-hour was up and it was Saha who netted his third goal in just his second start for the club. Scholes again was heavily involved, setting up the Frenchman to surely put the game beyond Everton already. It remained that way until half time. Surely there was no chance for the hosts now?
They, of course, had other ideas. Three substitutes - Wayne Rooney, Tomasz Radzinski and Gary Naysmith were all thrown on at the break and the latter had an immediate impression. It was from his corner that David Unsworth headed in Everton's first goal with just four minutes played in the second half.
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If the first goal offered hope, then Everton's second gave them real belief. It also came from a United player - John O'Shea - to deflate the visitors more than it might otherwise do. It was from another corner, this time won by future United player Rooney, that O'Shea turned the ball into his own net and it gave Everton 25 minutes to find another for an unlikely point.
It took them just 10. Everton pushed forward and Kevin Kilbane turned the ball in from a Thomas Gravesen free kick with 75 played. If anything, the goal came too early for the Toffees because United once more started to lay siege to the home goal. Nigel Martyn denied Scholes late on but Van Nistelrooy glanced in a header to steal all three points with his 101st for the club.
Matt Domm
