Man Utd 2
Chelsea 1
REPORT
Manchester United celebrated like
champions at Old Trafford after a 36-
second opener from Javier
Hernandez and a Nemanja Vidic
header took them to the brink of a
record 19th league title with a 2-1 win
over Chelsea.
- Jolly: The all-time champions -
Ferguson delighted to surpass
Liverpool - Ancelotti: United deserve
it - Premier League gallery
One point from the final two games
against relegation-threatened
Blackburn next Saturday and
Blackpool on the final day of the
season will be enough to seal a
championship which will take them
past the mark Liverpool have been
on for so long.
Sir Alex Ferguson felt victory over
closest rivals Chelsea was worthy of
a couple of bows to the Stretford End
as he knows, as do all United's rivals,
the prospect of them not getting
over the line now is unthinkable.
Built up as the title decider for a
week, so important Ferguson
selected a shadow side for a
Champions League semi-final, these
matches are so often a
disappointment.
Not this one. Not when United were
ahead so quickly.
Carlo Ancelotti must have been
devastated to concede quite so
simply so early in the game.
Ryan Giggs began the move,
stroking a short pass forward for
Park Ji-sung, who turned out to be
one of United's most effective
players.
The South Korean knew Hernandez
would be right on the shoulder of the
last defender. He could not legislate
for that defender failing to cut out the
pass.
Ancelotti made his feelings known
about that in the aftermath as he
berated David Luiz from the
touchline. Hernandez was not
hanging about to consider it, darting
forward before burying his 20th goal
of the season into the bottom corner.
Old Trafford erupted and then
watched spellbound as their team
produced an awesome display of
attacking power.
Wayne Rooney was agonisingly
close on two occasions, Hernandez
should have tucked home Park's far-
post cross despite Luiz's touch. Park
himself brought an excellent save
from Petr Cech.
From the latter effort United gained
the corner that brought their second
as first Salomon Kalou, then
Branislav Ivanovic fell asleep.
Kalou's crime was to allow Park to
race past him and play a short
corner with Giggs.
The Ivorian was then beaten too
easily as Giggs nipped to the byline
before dropping a cross into the
heart of Chelsea's box where Vidic
strode past fellow Serb Ivanovic and
powered home from close range.
Chelsea did create opportunities
themselves. Edwin van der Sar made
an excellent save to repel Kalou and
Didier Drogba went close on a couple
of occasions.
But those chances came against the
backdrop of a game set up exactly as
the Red Devils would wish, which
made the otherwise outstanding
Rooney's decision to react to the
baiting he was receiving from the
visiting fans all the more puzzling.
Having expressed his concern about
United being on the wrong end of a
refereeing decision, Ferguson could
at least console himself his side had
established a winning position before
Howard Webb turned down their
penalty appeals for what seemed a
clear Frank Lampard handball to
block Antonio Valencia's cross.
With no comeback in sight,
Fernando Torres became the third
Chelsea replacement after an hour.
Having spent big in January to land
some silverware, owner Roman
Abramovich must be wondering
whether his £75million has been
invested wisely given Luiz, an
accident waiting to happen on this
occasion, had understandably been
taken off at the break, along with
John Obi Mikel.
The changes brought the reaction
Ancelotti was looking for though as
Ivanovic climbed highest to reach a
Ramires cross and headed down for
Lampard, who prodded home from
close range.
United should have snuffed the
visitors' lingering hopes out
immediately though as Hernandez
nicked possession away from
Ramires and seemed to have
presented Rooney with a tap-in, only
for Alex to slide across to make a
crucial goal-line clearance.
Rooney then spurned three chances
to seal the contest, firing the first
wide, inexplicably failing to even
shoot with the second, before finally
having an effort deflected over by
Alex.
Hernandez wasted an even better
opportunity when he nodded
Valencia's teasing cross over from
six yards.
It was all happening at the wrong
end for Chelsea though, apart from a
Torres effort that never threatened.
Indeed, the visitors were resigned to
their fate long before the final whistle,
with United knowing they could be
celebrating history at Ewood Park
next Saturday just as Manchester City
are taking the field for their first FA
Cup final in 30 years.