The contrast with the Jose Mourinho era took the expected form. Avram Grant's Chelsea lost to Manchester United, a failing almost unknown when the Portuguese was in charge. Football, admittedly, is too complex ever to be covered by that sort of bald summation. Yesterday, for instance, the outcome must have been affected by the dubious red card for the visitors' midfielder Mikel John Obi when the match was goalless.
Once United had scored, with Carlos Tevez notching his first goal for the club, Chelsea enjoyed no more than a meaningless rally. Sir Alex Ferguson's side remembered to keep ample numbers behind the ball and spirited breaks by the visitors petered out, with no genuine saves required of Edwin van der Sar. Those seeking to have their emotions stirred were best advised to keep their eyes on the referee.
The most that can be said for Mike Dean is that he was entitled to show a red card and to give a penalty. The official, though, will not be pardoned for making those decisions in incidents that did not merit them. While Mikel overreacted after losing control of the ball in the 32nd minute, the stretching challenge that bit into Patrice Evra's left ankle merited a caution instead of the third dismissal of his Chelsea career.
There was no relation between the real incident and the two-footed lunge indicated by Dean. Penalty rulings were equally haphazard. With less than a minute to go Tal Ben Haim, face to face with Louis Saha, made the merest contact with the substitute and the Frenchman, cocking a snook at the laws of physics, fell forward. His conscience did not distract him from converting the penalty.
All things considered, a just verdict may have been reached by accident. The opener came through a rare piece of artistry that merited some reward. Even then, however, Dean could be faulted. Two minutes of first-half stoppage time had been completed, but the referee let play continue after Chelsea had dealt with a corner.
Wes Brown knocked the ball accurately towards Ryan Giggs on the right and the veteran bent it exquisitely towards the near post with the outside of his left foot. Tevez beat Petr Cech to the cross and headed his first goal for United from close range.
The Argentinian had a productive day, roaming and linking when United went on the attack, yet it is at least as relevant that Ferguson's team have racked up a fifth consecutive clean sheet. They might not look as if they are related to the effervescent line-up that won the Premiership title last season, and Arsenal are the sole team in the top flight who can be recommended wholeheartedly for style and excitement, but United rise to second place in the table.
The Telegraph
On the day that "Avram Who?" became "Avram Why?", Chelsea lost a player, two goals and three points to compound the disaster of losing the inspirational Jose Mourinho. If they are to rebuild for the future, Chelsea must appoint a more substantial successor to Mourinho than Avram Grant, who possesses neither the leadership skills nor the coaching licence.
As Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sat alone with his thoughts in a deserted directors' box at the break, serenaded by United chants of "You've Lost Your Special One", even the Russian oligarch must have acknowledged that success comes to those who employ high-class managers and then leave them alone. Arsene Wenger's vibrant Arsenal lead the Premier League followed by Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, who are beginning to find their elegant stride.
Chelsea supporters must surely hope that Grant is merely a caretaker while they await the arrival of a heavyweight manager such as Fabio Capello or Marcelo Lippi or even that bright, young Teutonic thing, Jurgen Klinsmann. The unexplained presence of Marco van Basten, the highly admired Holland coach, in the smart seats must have excited Chelsea followers.
Visitors were greeted by local wags with "We hear it's cold down at Chelsea - it is Minus One but it is a Special One!" Mourinho's departure was certainly mourned by the away fans, who signalled their displeasure with chants and banners. "Jose Mourinho - Simply The Best" read one.
When Mikel over-ran the ball in midfield after 30 minutes, Patrice Evra slid in for a routine piece of mopping up. Angered by his own carelessness, Mikel carried through with his right boot slightly raised, making contact with little Evra, who went somersaulting through the air. Brandishing a red card, Dean called the challenge "two-footed", although Mikel's left foot made no contact. "There was intent, and he could have hurt the boy, but it was still harsh for him to go," said Ferguson. "Some referees would have let it go."
Grant emerged from the dug-out, indicating that Chelsea should switch from 4-1-2-2-1 to 4-4-1 with Shevchenko isolated in attack. The ball inevitably came largely into United's domain. One Giggs free-kick was brilliantly met by the excellent Nemanja Vidic, who beat Terry to power a header goalwards. Petr Cech saved superbly, echoing his feat in the first minute when he had pushed away Wayne Rooney's curling shot.
Chelsea's keeper was beaten deep into stoppage time. In the wake of a Ryan Giggs corner, the busy Wes Brown headed the ball back down the inside-right channel to the Welsh winger. Chelsea froze. Shevchenko should have closed down Giggs. Terry should have tracked Tevez's run towards the near post. Giggs bent the ball in with the outside of his left foot, Tevez escaped Terry and nipped ahead of Cech to score with a wonderful flicked header. United fans turned and did 'chin up' signals to Abramovich.
The Times
Mike Dean had some big calls to make at Old Trafford yesterday. It really would have spoilt it had he got one right. He gave a penalty that was not; missed a penalty that was; sent off a player that did not deserve it; merely cautioned one that did. When Sir Alex Ferguson describes a red card to an opposition player as harsh, it would suggest an extreme miscarriage of justice. If the jury is out on the new Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, it is because the performance of the referee ruled this match a mistrial.
Chelsea were not particularly impressive, but the dismissal of John Obi Mikel for a tackle that was at worst recklessly overenthusiastic in the 31st minute, ended the match as a fair contest. Denied their two most significant attacking players in Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, Chelsea were already struggling to contain Manchester United; once reduced to ten men it made the first goal a matter of time, and roughly 14 minutes later one duly arrived.
In this way, Dean ensured that few are any the wiser about Grant or his regime. Had he continued to hold United to a goalless draw, what would he have done to win the game late on? Would understandable early caution have given way to a more expansive style? Would he have thrown a second striker on, perhaps moved away from the 4-3-3 blueprint of José Mourinho? We must wait and see; the dead hand of Dean killed the game, as surely as Grant's solemn demeanour and a series of hangdog touchline expressions are doing no favours for Chelsea's hopes of sending a global brand around the world, after the departure of the handsome, smartly attired and compelling José Mourinho.
Grant had little to crack a smile about, once Dean ripped a hole in his solidly-constructed midfield, by showing Mikel a straight red card for a tackle that warranted at most a yellow, if that. Mikel's tackle on Evra may have looked two-footed from Dean's angle, but replays showed Mikel led with one and mistimed his arrival only slightly.
As should Joe Cole when, in the seventeenth minute, he chased Evra back into Chelsea's penalty area from along the flank, before attempting a diving tackle that took the ball, but only after removing the player first. As the crowd roared for a penalty, Dean signalled a firm negative in front of the Stretford End. Full marks for bravery, zero for accuracy. Anyone can take the ball if the man can be sent airborne, too, and Chelsea could have been a goal down almost 30 minutes before Carlos Tévez opened the scoring.
Even that goal, his first of the season, was not without controversy. Dean's assistant showed that two minutes of injury time would be played at the end of the first half, but there were more than three additional minutes on the clock when Tévez met a perfect cross from Ryan Giggs at the near post to glance the ball past Petr Cech.
United were much the better team and deserved the win, incredibly the first time since April 28 that Ferguson's team have scored more than a single goal in a game. Chelsea's premium performer was Cech, whose first-half display in goal was exceptional, including saves from Rooney, Michael Carrick, Tévez and a quite stunning stop after a glancing header from Nemanja Vidic.