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I just got connected to the Internet in my new apartment 10 mins before kick off in today's Man Utd v Chelsea fixture. To say I was delighted may be the biggest understatement since The Black Knight declared he "only has a flesh wound".

The happiness that this game brings to me is fantastic. It signals the beginning of a new season, new kits, new signings and new boots all are on show. And what a season ahead. There is always a special buzz about seasons that finish in a World Cup, they take on a more magical air.

After turning the volume back on after the English National Anthem had finished, I was delighted to see and hear the ovation that Sir Bobby Robson received. I haven't commented on his passing due to connection problems as mentioned earlier. But it was great to see that the football community payed a fitting tribute to a great man.

The game itself was bright and lively, Nani's goal had all the marking of a recently departed Portugese winger. The sublime control, the shimmy to engage the over-lap, and then a fierce shot. Well, fierce in the same way that a kitten with a ball of wool is fierce (although Evra would steal the mantle of the Puffest of Powderpuff shots ever seen at Wembley with his penalty- we may call it the "kick of the glass slipper".) Cech should have saved the shot, no doubt about that, but he more than made up for it with 4 world class saves before half time.

O'Shea provided the best moment of the game for me, his jink and shimmy past the invisible man- when he tripped over the turf. Classic. Lampard then had his obligatory 'lets blast a free- kick against the wall' moment. Now I don't think anything pisses me off more in today's game than a free kick being hammered at a wall. And Lampard LOVES it. For a $250,000 a week I would like to think that you could show a little more ingenuity, some guile perhaps, try and manipulate the ball up and over the wall. Not send it to the wall hoping that some nancy boy has bottled it and turned their back. It smacks of "look at me and how hard I can kick it" eh fuck off Frank and use your brains.

Lampard had been kept quiet by Fletcher, a player who I really like but still cant fathom him out. Is he Keane with more flair, Scholes with better defensive attributes, or a Gattuso-type run around like a madman and then give the ball to the superstars? It was great to see that he was first to a have a whack at Ballack after ze German measured Evra's through with his forearm.

Ballack's little piece of naughtiness actually put some spark into the game, it was funny seeing everyone trying to line him up to melt him. But then Karma worked quickly and Evra sent him flying with a great tackle which was wrongly ruled a foul. Evra used up his anger and emotion to fuel an impressive last 20 mins and was instrumental in the equalizing goal. He anticipated and robbed the Chelsea midfield before slipping in Shrek who slotted it past the onrushing Cech. And then Evra filled his boot with Merangue and fluffed his penalty into Cech's arms. And ze German must have nearly burst from laughter.

Speaking of laughter, Berbatov! He is quickly heading down the Seba Veron road of "Good player elsewhere- pish at Utd". I am utterly unconvinced with him. It could be worse, he could be Ben Foster, who had a SHOCKER. Happiest man in Wembley today must have been Kuszczak.

Fergie must have been pissed with Ballack because he flexed his muscles by bring on Giggs, Scholes, Owen and Rafael. Owen showed glimpses of what he is about. Just a subtle little drift past Carvalho (who I love as a defender) and then some Van Nistelrooy type positioning from a free kick (when they start offside) that Cech did well to clear. Valencia tried too hard, and will need time to settle, but I think Rafael will do well with his constant energy.

Chelsea won on penalties, by being, well Chelsea. Nothing particularly good, or flamboyant, lots of players who you think "wow I forgot he was playing" but as a team they get the job done.

So for me the winner of today's game was...LIVERPOOL.

I think that Rafa Benitez would be rubbing his hands with glee after viewing that. He has seen both old enemies spar and none of them look particularly different than last year. An interesting season lies ahead.