In the biggest showdown of the season so far, Sir Alex Ferguson let his team do the talking on the pitch as Manchester United brushed aside Chelsea in a comfortable 3-0 win.

 

Fresh from a verbal blasting by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, goals from Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov brought United to within a pair of victories of the table-topping Anfield side with two games in hand. The game had threatened to get out of hand in early exchanges but once Vidic had headed in from a corner only seconds after Howard Webb disallowed a goal following a controversial corner routine between Giggs and Rooney the result was not in doubt.

Sir Alex left Old Trafford in a somewhat happier mood than counterpart Big Phil Scolari whose Chelsea side were well beaten. There appears to be an ominous inevitability about United’s current form and this was no doubt in Ferguson’s mind as he dismissed the comments from Benitez. It will be a brave Premiership manager who is not even a little afraid of facing the Red Devils over the closing months of the season.