Premier League: Tottenham 0 Manchester United 0

Ten-man Manchester United held on in an entertaining goalless draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Defender Rafael Da Silva was shown two yellow cards, however the home side could not take advantage of the extra man.

Wayne Rooney almost got the visitors off to the best of starts, however he could only flash his shot narrowly wide after a measured through-ball from strike partner Dimitar Berbatov, returning to the club where he spent two years of his career.

Rafael van der Vaart then wasted a free-kick in a great position with 10 minutes gone, firing straight into the arms of fellow Dutchman Edwin Van Der Sar in the Manchester United goal.

Spurs striker Peter Crouch should have given the home side the lead moments later but his volley from Alan Hutton’s accurate cross flew inches wide.

With Gareth Bale tormenting Da Silva down the left flank, Tottenham looked the more likely team to score, and their task of breaking the deadlock should have been made easier after the Brazilian’s ugly lunge on Spurs’ midfielder Wilson Palacios.

The defender let the ball run away from him and slid in on Palacios who had retrieved it, however referee Mike Dean chose only to book Da Silva when he perhaps should have been given a straight red card.

The last action of the first half saw Tottenham almost go in at the break ahead, but van der Vaart’s header from a neat Bale cross hit the side of the net rather than the back of it.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side started the second half with plenty of attacking intent, and went close when Michael Carrick, another ex-Tottenham player in the United ranks, headed Ryan Giggs’ corner just wide.

Rooney then surged at the Spurs’ back-line before releasing a low drive which Heurelho Gomes did well to palm around the post.

But Tottenham were given a major boost with 15 minutes to go as Da Silva’s luck ran out – a petty trip on Benoit Assou-Ekotto saw the right-back shown a second yellow card and subsequently trudged off down the tunnel as cheers rang around White Hart Lane.

And van der Vaart should have won the game when a corner broke to him 15 yards out but the former Real Madrid man curled his shot narrowly over and with it went Tottenham’s hopes of three points.