Fellaini’s winner casts shadow over van Persie’s bow for Ferguson’s men

While defending champions and neighbours City achieved a come-from-behind win against Southampton on Sunday, the Red Devils were second best for most of the night at Goodison Park.

The thorn in their side was midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who was a constant threat and deservedly capped an impressive performance with the only goal early in the second half.

Van Persie, a £24m acquisition from Arsenal, was brought in to provide the additional firepower needed to challenge City but in a late substitute appearance he did not register a shot on target.

His team-mates had not done much better in the previous 70 minutes.

It was the first time United had failed to win their opening fixture since 2008 but it was a first victory in five seasons for the Toffees, perennial slow starters.

But they began the campaign where they had left off as after losing eight of their first 14 league games last season they went on a nine-match unbeaten run up to its conclusion.

One of those was a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford in which Fellaini played a key part, scoring in one of his more dominant performances, to help swing the title race in City’s favour.

Sir Alex Ferguson should have learned from that but he was hamstrung by the fact United started the match with just two recognised defenders: Nemanja Vidic, who had not played since December because of knee injury, and Patrice Evra, whose future has been a matter for debate all summer.

Winger Antonio Valencia was deployed at right-back while midfielder Michael Carrick was positioned alongside Vidic in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

That was a telling factor in David De Gea being the busiest – and most impressive – player in the first half.

However, he was run a close second by Fellaini, playing just behind striker Nikica Jelavic, who was the dominant force in United’s penalty area.

The Belgium international had already headed over Leighton Baines’s corner before he collected a throw-in and turned into the penalty area, holding off Carrick, to hit the post from the narrowest of angles.

He was also the creator as his aerial power and strength on the ball saw him chest one back for Steven Pienaar to slice wide and then knock down a cross which Leon Osman did superbly well to hit on the turn only for De Gea to bat away the shot.

The United goalkeeper, who arrived last season from Atletico Madrid and quickly earned a reputation for being suspect under pressure which he took a while to shake off, was on top form throughout.

United had chances of their own, though not as good or as numerous as their hosts, and Fellaini was finally rewarded for his outstanding display with a goal when former Red Devil Darron Gibson swung over a corner and he left Carrick sprawling to head home.

United’s one real plus point was the display of another summer signing Shinji Kagawa, who showed plenty of good touches around the penalty area.

Tom Cleverley went closes to equalising but Phil Jagielka was astutely positioned to clear his shot off the line.