Three and easy for United
Although The Red Devils may find themselves second at the end of the day, with Liverpool given the chance to reclaim top-spot with their game against Derby, United comfortably won a game despite long periods of pressure by the home side.
Yet it was the visitors that dictated the tempo of the game and a lack of creativity in the ranks of Claudio Ranieri's men was apparent for all to see, despite the inclusion of Gianfranco Zola from the start.
Laurent Blanc made a couple of crucial interceptions early on but the game exploded into life on the quarter hour mark when a quick break by the visitors saw van Nistelrooy fouled by Jesper Gronkjaer. Although the Dane was booked, the greater punishment for Chelsea was Ryan Giggs playing the ball square for Scholes to hammer a shot goalwards which flew past Carlo Cudicini, with both Nicky Butt and Emmanuel Petit claiming deflections.
The game lulled back into it's pre-goal pace, with Chelsea doing most of the pressure, yet they could have been two down when van Nistelrooy was played clean through only for him to fire straight at Cudicini who deflected it behind for a corner.
However, the newly crowned Player of the Year made no mistake four minutes from the break as superb inter-play down the right saw Solskjaer beat a couple of defenders before flicking it through for van Nistelrooy who rounded Cudicini and side-footed the ball home.
Both sides suffered injury problems with Quinton Fortune forced off with a hamstring injury and Eidur Gudjonnsen suffering an ankle strain and he too was substituted.
The second half was more of the same as Chelsea found themselves restricted to a couple of Frank Lampard shots, although their lack of pressure on the visitors allowed United to do as they pleased at times.
Cudicini was at his best to save van Nistelrooy's follow up, as Giggs's shot almost deceived him but in the 86th minute United completed their comprehensive victory as the Dutch star fooled Marcel Desailly on the left before slipping in Giggs who unselfishly squared for Solskjaer to slot home.
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