‘No sooner had Manchester United been made favourites to go into the new year as Premiership leaders, than they were brought down to earth by a wonderfully determined Blackburn Rovers yesterday. The gap on defending champions Arsenal remains four points.
United had arrived at Ewood Park in irresistible form - eight straight victories, the last five of them without conceding a goal - and the confidence gained from that all-conquering run was in evidence as they outclassed battling Rovers.
Outclassed but not outfought. Blackburn, who fielded a former Old Trafford strike force in Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole and added another United old boy in Keith Gillespie in the second half, snatched an interval lead through a man who forged his reputation at Manchester City, Garry Flitcroft, and defended that lead as though their lives depended on it.
The decisive strike came five minutes before the end of a first half that produced fewer openings than a thrilling second period. David Dunn's trickery forced a trip by Paul Scholes outside the penalty area and from Damien Duff's floated free- kick, Martin Taylor headed the ball back against Wes Brown, the rebound falling nicely for Flitcroft to ram it past Fabien Barthez.
United will feel they should gone ahead, particularly when Ryan Giggs, an otherwise ineffective captain, set up Ruud van Nistelrooy 10 yards out. The Dutchman saw his 19th goal of an outstanding season beckoning and could not believe it when his first-time shot was blocked.
Blackburn lived dangerously again when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to make decent contact with a Gary Neville cross and when both Diego Forlan and Van Nistelrooy failed to capitalise on a teasing John O'Shea cross. But Rovers' greatest escape came midway through the second half when Van Nistelrooy missed what for him was a simple chance.
It was the first time in 14 outings that United had failed to score and it was their first defeat since the nadir of their season at Maine Road in the derby which sparked their resurgence.’