‘Although Chelsea, thanks to Frank Lampard's penalty, now
lead the Premiership, a four-point deficit cannot leave
Manchester United desolate since they loped across a far
more intimidating stretch of territory than that to take the
title last season. Having turned away from this result,
though, Sir Alex Ferguson may pause to stare at the calendar
and count the days to the opening of the transfer window.
‘The injuries to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Paul Scholes
expose the shallowness of his creative resources. At
Stamford Bridge there was a paucity of incident against
opponents who would not oblige them with a helpful bungle.
Chelsea have completed six consecutive shut-outs in all
competitions.
‘After five minutes Gary Neville and Ruud van Nistelrooy
made an opportunity which was sliced by Diego Forlan and
deflected by Mario Melchiot so that Carlo Cudicini had to be
alert to concede only a corner. There were, however, only 15
minutes remaining when Van Nistelrooy wheeled and saw
United's next clear-cut chance being deflected wide.
‘Once Cudicini had put a 20-yarder from Cristiano Ronaldo
behind in the 82nd minute, United merely scuffled along to
the full-time whistle. Their great Dutchman had an arid
spell earlier this season but it is becoming apparent that
there are too many afternoons when it is impossible for him
to be dashing.
‘United's American goalkeeper was their best performer and
perhaps it was inevitable that only a spot-kick would be
beyond his reach. After 30 minutes Hernan Crespo fed Joe
Cole and Roy Keane, in a stretching effort to cover, caught
the attacking midfielder at shin level.’
Telegraph
‘"Our confidence is flying now," observed Terry, echoing the
self-belief flooding through Ranieri's players. The view
from the vanquished dressing room was inevitably one of
defiance. "It is a great result for them but it is too early
to say," commented Sir Alex Ferguson on whether this was a
decisive moment for Chelsea in the title race. "When you are
top in April, you will feel the pressure then."
‘Yet Ferguson's squad is inferior to Ranieri's. Three of the
celebrated internationals who began on Chelsea's bench,
Marcel Desailly, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Damien Duff,
would have got into United's starting line-up. Paul Scholes
and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot return from injury quickly
enough and still Ferguson may need to strengthen. His side
remain over-reliant on Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was
marshalled brilliantly by Terry and William Gallas.
‘United are not champions by accident and they sought to
impose their game on Chelsea. Keane drove them forward,
Giggs tried to slip his markers but Chelsea's defence stood
firm. Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival 19 minutes from time at
last gave United a proper right-sided outlet, allowing Giggs
to switch to his preferred left.’
Murdoch’s Times:
‘It was almost enough to make you feel sorry for Manchester
United, the poor little underdogs battered and bullied by
the loadsamoney brutes from Stamford Bridge. Outspent and
now outplayed, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men looked a sorry,
bedraggled bunch as they trooped off in the drizzle
yesterday to find that Chelsea had not only gone top but
been installed by the bookmakers as favourites for the
championship.
‘Of course, some of us said United were finished about this
time last season and they went on one of the great title-
winning runs of the past two decades, so let us not make the
same mistake this time around. When Paul Scholes and Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer return, Ferguson will be able to drop
Quinton Fortune and Diego Forlán, who looked out of their
depth against Chelsea. He should not have to deploy Ryan
Giggs on the right wing.
‘Ferguson also plans to spend money on a forward in January
but, whatever he has to play with, Chelsea have plenty more
and that is what United fans left fearing yesterday. Their
team and squad both looked inferior to Chelsea’s and Roman
Abramovich has barely started flexing his financial muscle.
United might go shopping for Jermain Defoe or Louis Saha in
January. The Russian billionaire is probably wondering how
much it would take to lure Ronaldo or Thierry Henry.’
Nothing like a spot of pro-Glazier propaganda is there?
Indie:
‘Chances were spurned, opportunities passed, in a committed
encounter and yet it was a penalty, correctly garnered after
a hairline decision by Roy Keane not to withdraw from a
probably needless challenge, that settled it. In the end the
champions got what they deserved. There was a conservatism
to their play which betrayed the club's attacking instincts.
Their claws were withdrawn and, with that, disappeared much
of their menace.
‘Most concerning of all for Ferguson is that they appeared a
team more in transition than their hosts, who are very
definitely contenders - and, last night, were installed as
the bookmakers' favourites.
‘The victory was Chelsea's and, at the end, their
substitutes flooded the pitch. United will come again but
with a fifth successive league victory and no goals conceded
since the loss to Arsenal in October, Chelsea have hit the
front as clear-eyed contenders in a three-horse race.’