United lack the cutting edge

London: Darren Fletcher must have offended Glenn Hoddle in another life. The miscarriage of justice he suffered last week when booked after being felled in the box against CSKA Moscow was arguably doubled here after a tackle on Ashley Cole that many saw as legitimate.

The goal that resulted from the ensuing free-kick consummated the mugging. Defeats by Burnley and Liverpool were calamitous for the paucity of United's play. Here the champions bossed the game but unless they bring a sharp focus to possession then the big pots will not be coming their way.

Predictably, Sir Alex Ferguson let referee Martin Atkinson have it for what he saw as poor decision-making leading up to the goal. He has a point. Atkinson was trapped in a downward spiral of bad calls when seduced by Cole's acrobatic collapse.

More pertinent were his remarks about the performance of his team in front of goal. You can't win the lottery without a ticket. For all their fluency in the middle, for all the subordination of Chelsea's vaunted midfield, Petr Cech had a quiet game in the Chelsea goal.

United's 23-goal return this season compares poorly to the 36 banged home by Arsenal. John Terry's header took Chelsea's total to 29. Ronaldo broke with tradition. United have never relied on the plunder of a few but a greater spread across the team.

Before Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy was the first 30-goal a season man since Brian McClair in his first term, 22 years ago. And McClair was the first since George Best.

Ferguson would prefer to take the points north, but there is some balm to be had from the bragging rights. Expert opinion classified United as underdogs coming into this game. Chelsea were the best thing since sliced bread and Arsenal. United did not have the tools to contend with a midfield loaded with experienced talent, it was said.

Ferguson must have been chuckling in his seat as Deco, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack retreated in ever diminishing circles in pursuit of the magnificent Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson. Only Michael Essien's end of the Chelsea diamond shone during the first half.

John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho were frequently stretched but not terminally. This is the area that might yet send Ferguson Christmas shopping, though the problem is more about approach than personnel. Chelsea though lacking width, always carried a threat through Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Ferguson would have admired the tenacity and commitment of a team that lined up behind the old cliche of winning while not playing well.

The challenge

The challenge for both of London's leviathans is to maintain the pace they have set. United have another gear to find. A year ago to the day Ferguson's team was similarly anchored in the slipstream of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, eight points behind the leaders having lost twice and drawn three.

It's advantage Chelsea and Arsenal after 12 games though the philosophers at French magazine France Football saw this as a match that revealed Chelsea's limitations and United's potential. A Scottish philosopher shares that view. A talking point to take into international week.