United overrun Arsenal

And that's what it looks like when United put in a proper performance. After weeks of stuttering and responsive performances, Man Utd were excellent last night in sweeping Arsenal aside 1-0. They were up for it, got the tempo just right from the off, hounded Arsenal high up the pitch, physically dominated and created chance after chance, especially throughout a quite astoundingly one-sided opening half-hour. That United didn't come away with at least a two-goal cushion can be the only negative for Alex Ferguson's side; that was down to Manuel Almunia's defiant performance and some wastefulness from United themselves.

In picking Carlos Tevez over Berbatov - expect that decision to be reversed next Tuesday night by the way - Ferguson sent a signal out right away. United were coming to get Arsenal with running and pressure. The little Argentinian gave his best performance of the season, all effort, nice touches, good feet and ideas. Wayne Rooney was similarly effective. Darren Fletcher and Anderson's energy controlled midfield. Ronaldo and John O'Shea made hay down the right wing. For 35 minutes, Arsenal couldn't keep the ball and couldn't figure out how to deal with United's movement and rhythm - along with O'Shea's goal, there were decent chances from all the front three and Anderson was ruled offside when through one-on-one (not that you'd exactly write that down as a goal).

That Arsenal came into things for spells before and after half-time seemed as much a lull in United's legs as any great initiative from Arsene Wenger's side. Only Nicklas Bendtner's glanced header caused the United defence unease and it was the home team who picked things up again for the last twenty minutes, Ronaldo hitting the bar with a sensational effort, Giggs' cross headed off the line, three or four balls flashing across the Arsenal box dangerously. Plainly and simply, Arsenal were outran and outplayed. The only positives they'll take is that it's only one goal, and they can't be as lackadaisical again, surely. Fabregas ought to go back 20 yards to central midfield, Van Persie might well come into the more advanced position if fit.

Right now, it's hard to imagine United not scoring next week. Anything can happen of course, but it's them in the driving seat now.

United slip into title mode

Some pertinent questions. Is this the beginning of the end for the title race? Can Liverpool haul in a five-point, likely to be eight-point before they play again, lead? Have United ever looked as comfortable? Will they ever concede a goal again? Is this the strongest United group of all time? How good was Paul Scholes last night? Some attempted answers. Probably. Unlikely. No. Maybe not. Squad-wise, yes. Very, very, very, awesome.

Fulham have made life awkward for Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool this season but last night they were swept away pretty imperiously by a United who're just starting to click. Berbatov flitted into life and gives a wonderful fulcrum to attacks. Tevez scuttled around to effect. As Jonathan Wilson pointed out in the Guardian last week, the main reason they're so hard to score against is that they keep possession so well, their defence rarely comes under any sustained pressure. And Paul Scholes is the very personification of that philosophy.

There are murmerings this season that Scholes is less effective now than in the past, that he's vulnerable in a two-man midfield against younger, stronger legs, that he's not stamping himself on games like the Scholes of old, that he's unable for the bigger games (he was anonymous at both Anfield and Stamford Bridge earlier this season). Well last night he turned back the clocks. From the stunningly executed volley that may have needed a blip from the keeper but deserved a goal nonetheless to the way he shaped the tempo and rhythm of United's attacking with intelligence and awareness of space that no other player in the squad possesses, Scholes was sensational.

He strolled around midfield, always available for ball. He raked countless passes crossfield for Ronaldo, Park, O'Shea and Evra to attack the wings. He displayed the usual variety of passes, keeping things short and simple but knowing that the 50-yard ball can be devastating when perfect. Check out this Guardian chalkboard and see the stats - 64 passes, 62 successful. But it's the variety and the fact that so many are forward, probing, attacking passes that leaps out. Scholes was always looking to create openings. On last night's form he's in a class of his own. Whether he's the legs to recreate that against the Pools, Inters, of this world we'll find out.

Check out Martin Samuel's reasoning on the title race in the Daily Mail which of course makes complete sense. Simply put, United are top because of the better team/ squad, not due to any failings/ rants from Rafa.

Note - it's great to see John O'Shea continue his run of good form in the United team. We'd worried he was likely to be shunted back to the bench on Evra's return but Ferguson just moved him across to right-back where he was solid and actually far more creative going forward than he's been at left-back recently. He's got his critics, myself included, but he's been good recently. Darron Gibson is getting more gametime now too, which can only be encouraging for his career.

United lay their cards on table

Though we tend to overhype the bigger Premier League games as season-defining more often than strictly true, yesterday may just have bucked the trend. It genuinely did have a sense of shaping a season about it by the end. Because at the end of 90 minutes at Old Trafford yesterday, Man Utd had laid down their challenge to make it three-in-a-row titles and Chelsea had done everything but wave the white flag in their efforts to make a go of it, surrendering in a manner that suggest serious problems at Stamford Bridge.

It's fair to say the absence of Rio Ferdinand and the inclusion of Ryan Giggs in midfield - to the exclusion of Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes especially- raised a few eyebrows pre-match and maybe tilted a lot of predictions towards the crowd in blue. Shows how much the average punters (Jumpthefence included it turns out) know and just why Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager of a generation. Giggs was truly superb and composed, Fletcher a bundle of energy - and the most improved player at a big club this season, that he was a definite starter beforehand says a lot - alongside him. Sure, Chelsea played some keepball for the opening half-hour but there was no penetration, no end product and Edwin Van Der Sar was as much a bystander as Jose Mourinho in the stands.

United were by no means overly fluent or outstandingly sharp going forward but they had an energy, a purpose and a threat that eventually wore Chelsea down and once they sensed a vulnerability in their opponents, United had that mentality to go for the throat. They were a big-game club yesterday. Park was boundless in his running on the wing. Ronaldo was dangerous, was involved in two goals, had two disallowed - probably both wrongly, wasn't that corner-kick trick clever in such a huge game? - and was just wide with another excellent attempt. Rooney worked tirelessly and grabbed a goal. Berbatov linked well and ended with a fine goal and an assist. More than anything, Vidic was absolutely immense, Evans looks a real player and the whole defence was rock-solid - they haven't conceded in eight league games. You have to fancy them going on a run of wins from here.

Chelsea were simply blown away and their lack of fight was kind of sad by the end. Like a washed-up fighter who'd suddenly realised, in a world title fight, there was little left in them. John Terry looked resigned to defeat. Deco and Ballack look shadows of once-great players. Drogba was disgracefully uninterested. Anelka was Anelka. They'll do well to mount any kind of challenge in the league after this sort of loss.

It was that kind of day,two performances and a result that seemed to have more meaning than one game really should. We'll learn soon enough if that's the case.

Things we learnt

1 United look a good bet; Others are shaky
We'll expand on the Utd-Chelsea game in a while but for now, awful as Chelsea no doubt were yesterday, fact is Man Utd made a serious statement of intent with that 3-0 win. They were energetic, lively, strong-minded, had a good tempo and when it came to the crunch of a big game, had the mindset to go for it and win. Chelsea look more vulnerable than any time recently, they're not playing for Scolari and Drogba's a liability wandering around like that. Liverpool and Rafa lost the plot a little by drawing at Stoke - no easy place to win obviously - but after the rant by their manager they needed to make their own statement. That they struggled to says a lot about their chances of sustaining this challenge. Leading onto...

2 Rafa doesn't fancy our Robbie
Look, we do seem to be having a go at poor Robbie Keane a lot here but we hold no grudge against the man. Much as we Irish may moan about the craziness of Benitez leaving Keane on the sideline, it's not like Keane has shown lethal, deadly finishing recently. But with Pool drawing 0-0, needing a goal from somewhere, that Benitez again left Keane on the line says everything you need to know about his real feelings on the striker: he doesn't think he's up to it. Rightly or wrongly, that's a simple fact. That Benitez spent £20m on a striker he's decided six months later isn't good enough must raise questions in Pool supporters (and American owners) heads. That Benitez went to Stoke with Kuyt up front on his own and two sitting midfielders says a lot about his mentality too though.

3 RTE ought never do GAA specials (ever!)
Take your pick on the worst moments of a typically cringe-inducing, clichéd, Late Late show GAA special. The Fields of Athenry by Brush Shiels. Bertie and Dunphs together. Showing Darragh that pic of Brian Dooher. More of the Kerry-Dublin "hilarious characters and stories from the golden era of football". The woeful attempt at parody from the comedian that was simply in bad taste. The lack of effort at including anything slightly to the left of the bigger names. Late Late specials are always terrible. This was especially terrible. Please spare us anything like this again. Please.