14) Manchester United 1 - 1 Chelsea Fc

Sun, 26th Nov 2006 It was Manchester United's first-half and Chelsea's second as the top of the table stayed the same with Ricardo Carvalho equalising Saha's goal. United still lead Chelsea by three points. Third-placed Bolton are eight points behind Chelsea. United players flung themselves to the ground clutching their face on the first two fouls whistled up by referee Webb: Lampard on Ronaldo, and Vidic on Ballack. Webb told Ronaldo to get on with it, but even though Ballack had been fouled took him aside and had a few words. United had more of the early ball and Carvalho exhibited his class twice with outstanding interceptions while Terry's chest control was at its most exquisite. At the other end van der Sar was lucky when he sliced his clearance to a through ball which Shevchenko was running on to, upending the forward in the process. Rooney was also lucky when he wasn't booked for flying in late on Makelele. He was typically pumped up for the affair. Cudicini failed to hold an up-and-under carelessly headed by Geremi, and then Cole was whistled up for winning the ball off Ronaldo but going through him afterwards. Like Rooney he received a lecture. It was a man's game. With 14 minutes gone the home crowd had gone quiet and Chelsea fans were chanting: 'One stand singing, there's only one stand singing?' Seventeen minutes had gone of muscular competitiveness and athletic covering when Ballack was adjudged to have fouled and Ronaldo's 25 yards free-kick had to be turned over by the leaping Cudicini. The game's first shot on target had produced its first corner. Chelsea cleared. Three minutes later Makelele became the first booking, handling when trying to control a United clearance as Chelsea attacked. But Chelsea sorties into the United half were rare. Terry was in awesome form, lobbing Ronaldo to keep possession and dispossessing Rooney after Ballack had lost the ball in midfield. Carvalho was likewise, showing anger at Ronaldo's raised feet after another lightning interception. Ballack was finding the pace of the game challenging, giving away another free-kick in trying to block Ronaldo. Terry was angry with the referee when he didn't have words with Scholes for felling Lampard from behind. It was tough and it was without major penetration until two minutes before the half-hour when Rooney found Saha peeling away from Carvalho and producing a perfectly placed left-footed shot which zipped round him and into goal off the post.

Tempers hotted up when Heinze crashed in on Drogba who collapsed and no foul was given. Carvalho was poor in challenging Rooney and Terry little better on Saha as play went on, and Chelsea were lucky that neither effort was whistled up and Saha chose to square the ball rather than shoot. Drogba was then booked for going in late on Vidic. Both sides surrounded referee Webb. Vidic got up quickly and play resumed. Chelsea stepped up the attacking and Geremi produced the first on-target shot for the visitors with a 30 yards cracker which flying van der Sar parried. It remained strangely tense in the crowd, and Chelsea fans were gleefully chanting: 'One-nil and you still don't sing?' But United were not dented, and Carvalho tried one interception too many and was bypassed by Giggs, then rescued by Terry who tackled magnificently once more. By the interval Mourinho must have been looking for more patience on the ball and better delivery into the United area, for Essien to get into the game more, and for Ballack and Shevchenko to step up their pace. Once again, however, Ashley Cole was showing top and increased form. Mourinho's half-time changes were to send on Robben, take off Geremi, move Essien to right-back and to play more of a 4-3-3. Early on Cole showed his class again when Carrick and Rooney combined to send Ronaldo away, and he matched his pace then slid in to clear for a corner. Chelsea mucked up clearing it, Robben giving away possession, Essien getting caught upfield, and Chelsea were lucky that Saha sliced Rooney's cross and Ronaldo missed Saha's slice. But Chelsea found balance with the change, Lampard found space to run at United, and Drogba was caught offside a couple of times as he looked to get in behind the home defence. Carrick became the first United player to be booked when he tripped Lampard who was on another surging run. Incongruously, one minute later referee Webb only spoke to Giggs for felling Essien from behind. But Carvalho was equally fortunate not to be carded for a high challenge on Neville. Webb was trying to keep the game moving. It almost moved too quickly for Chelsea. Heinze beat Robben and crossed and, when the ball bounced back to Ronaldo, Carvalho pounced brilliantly to clear. Chelsea came again, however. It was a much brighter blue tide. Essien's brilliant cross only just evaded Shevchenko. Lampard's cross-shot was only just wide. Ballack's cross was met brilliantly by Drogba whose effort was only just over. An angry Drogba chased and retrieved the ball when the Old Trafford ball boys went missing.

The tension was growing. Essien turned down a shooting opportunity and lost possession trying a give-and-go leaving United to counter with three against three, and Cudicini had to save from Giggs at the near post. But seconds later van der Sar had to do the same from Lampard. Then good football finished with Ballack's pass being laid off by Drogba when he might have turned and shot, and Lampard's resulting effort was high. It was a repeat of last season's game at Old Trafford where an undistinguished first-half resulting in an interval deficit was followed by a much better second=half. But Robben twice gave away careless possession and United continued to have their threatening moments. Another came through Ronaldo's counter from a Chelsea corner which Robben had won, and once again Cole matched him for pace even when he seemed to get away, didn't foul and won the goal-kick. He was giving a master class of left-back play. Chelsea equalised after Giggs had shown that two world class left-wingers can carelessly give away possession. He swept a cross-field pass out for a throw-in, Chelsea won a corner from the throw, and Lampard's outswinger was headed for goal by Carvalho above Heinze. Saha's attempted clearance sliced over van der Sar and into the net off the bar, but it was definitely Carvalho's goal. He ran to Lampard and the Chelsea fans in delirious celebration. It had been Chelsea's second corner. Joe Cole replaced Shevchenko with 20 minutes left. Shevchenko had been more involved second-half and had shown more skills, but it was still a frustrating afternoon for him. Chelsea were enjoying more possession and penetration now, and more skills by Essien, Ballack and Joe Cole nearly slipped Drogba in. Chelsea looked the stronger. And the away fans continued to dominate. But Ronaldo's running remained a problem, and Ashley Cole was booked for one sliding challenge too many. But Ferguson had had enough of his forwards. He sent on Fletcher and O' Shea in place of Ronaldo and Saha. Rooney played alone up front and United tried five in midfield to contain Chelsea. Such tactics allowed Makelele to get forward and have a long pop, but after the exception at Tottenham it was traditionally wide. At the end of the game, the players were friendly and mixing together in the centre of the pitch. It had been a game well refereed and well played without too much controversy. Manchester United (4-4-2) Van der Sar; Neville (c), Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze; Ronaldo (Fletcher 80), Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney, Saha (O'Shea 80). Scorer Saha (28). Booked Carrick (54).

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2) Cudicini; Geremi (Robben h-t), Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Makelele; Essien, Lampard; Ballack (Ferreira 90+2); Shevchenko (J Cole 75), Drogba. Scorer Carvalho (68). Booked Makelele (20). Drogba (35), A Cole (83).