Goals from Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov moved United up to third – above Aston Villa on goal difference – and five points behind leaders Liverpool with two games in hand. They will move above second-placed Chelsea with a win over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.

Vidic lost his marker at the far post to head home his fourth of the season from a corner in first-half stoppage time and give United a lead they just about deserved on the balance of play. That goal was registered at the second attempt after Cristiano Ronaldo had a header of his own disallowed just moments earlier. Rooney had casually knocked the inital corner into play while nobody except Ryan Giggs was looking, and the Welsh veteran jogged over to the ball before quickly crossing in to the far post for Ronaldo to glance a header past goalkeeper Petr Cech. However, the linesman’s flag was immediately raised and referee Howard Webb ruled that, as none of the officials were made aware that the ball was in play, the corner must be retaken.

Midway through the second-half, United doubled their lead when Patrice Evra – returning from a four-match ban for his row with a Chelsea groundsman at Stamford Bridge last April – curled in a cross that was too high for Berbatov to head but Rooney was able to prod home from close range.
Berbatov put the gloss on the victory with three minutes of normal time remaining when he steered in Ronaldo’s free-kick delivery at the near post.

Considering the inevitably fevered build-up to the match, the first-half was a largely uneventful one.
The referee handed out four yellow cards, the first to Frank Lampard after just four minutes for a cynical trip on Ronaldo. Ronaldo found himself in the book midway through the half along with fellow Portuguese Ricardo Carvalho after the two tangled with each other while battling at a corner.

The only shot on target preceding the opener came from Berbatov after Rooney had found him in the Chelsea area with a delicate flick. The Bulgarian striker was in front of goal but his left-footed shot under pressure was tame and an easy stop for Cech.

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari brought on Nicolas Anelka at half-time to partner Didier Drogba, but the league’s top scorer did little to aid his coahces cause.
The Frenchman could not muster any efforts on goal himself, while Drogba blazed one strike over the bar and air-kicked another attempted volley as the Blues chased the game.

Four more booking were handed out before the final whistle, including one for Rooney, whose performance deserved both the goal he scored and the yellow card he received.

Ronaldo fired a shot inches wide from distance and had a free-kick loop up off the wall and tipped over the bar by Cech before he set up the third goal that ended Chelsea’s unbeaten run of 20 away matches in the league.
Tony Mabert / Eurosport

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