Chelsea 1 Manchester U 0:ALEX FERGUSON and Carlo Ancelotti linked arms as they meandered towards the dug-out before kick-off. That bonhomie may be doomed if Manchester United go on suffering at the hands of the Italian's Chelsea side. It was the sort of grinding, unsatisfactory match that often develops when leading teams meet, but the Italian prevailed.

With justification, Ferguson, bemoaned the 76th minute winner, complaining about Martin Atkinson’s award of the free-kick for a supposed foul by the outstanding Darren Fletcher on Ashley Cole. The manager had recriminations left over for a protest that Didier Drogba had been offside as John Terry headed in the Frank Lampard set-piece.

His main reproaches will be made to his squad in private. He can admire the enterprise of a United line-up far from full strength, but that must make him all the more exasperated that they did not make more of the dominant spells.

There was a patience and endurance at Stamford Bridge and those traits were indispensable when some of the key characters in the Chelsea camp kept a relatively low profile. Lampard, despite taking the key free-kick, was no menace to United in open play. Drogba was well-marshalled, despite the fact that Rio Ferdinand missed the match through a calf strain and Nemanja Vidic was only in good enough condition to be an unused substitute.

The supposed weaknesses in the back four deepened a desire to take the play to Chelsea, but Dimitar Berbatov was absent through injury as well. Ferguson did not have the trust to pitch Michael Owen on from the start and, until the final moments, Rooney worked alone in attack.

Chelsea are expert at checking even the outstanding footballers and when Rooney had broken clear, in the sixth minute, he was wrongly given offside. There had been other openings, with Petr Cech turning behind a good effort from Rooney in the 69th minute.

Nonetheless, Chelsea had a plan and it delivered the required victory. They did not seek to force the issue and never seemed to panic when pinned back. In view of the make-up of that defence, it is logical that Ancelotti should feel there need be no rush to score.

The Chelsea formation, with its midfield diamond and twin strikers, sounds romantic and can deliver excitement, but it also allows for the team to get back in numbers, with even Nicolas Anelka happy to drift towards a midfielder’s role at times.

The visitors had the more recognisable intent to attack, but Ferguson might have engineered a throng in midfield even if every attacker on his books had been in condition to take part.

By and large, the match was innocuous before the interval. United had impetus, without looking as if they could reach a conclusion. Chelsea, for their part, seemed in no hurry. Half-an-hour had gone before Anelka produced an effort that called for a good save by Edwin van der Sar.

United’s showing was superior to the one given at Anfield, but there is close resemblance to the outcomes. Ferguson’s team also looked unlikely to hit the net when beaten 2-0 by Liverpool. While the manager did not have all his personnel available here, it does appear that the departed Cristiano Ronaldo will be missed for quite a while to come.

Chelsea are in contrasting circumstances. At incredible expense, they have retained just about everyone they really want on the books. Barring a splurge in January or next summer, Ancelotti will continue to rely on a group that then grows old together. Not even the famed Milan sports science he has brought to London will entirely halt physical decline. No one in United ranks saw much evidence of imminent collapse. What is more, Chelsea had a resourcefulness of sorts.

It was scarcely anticipated that Drogba, who has probably been the most impressive character so far in the Premier League season, would make little impression on an improvised United defence.

Whatever else keeps Ferguson awake at nights it will not be a horror that his men lack the appetite for a fourth title in a row. His opposite number, all the same, has lost nothing in translation from Serie A. These encounters with United must continue to grip just as they did in his Milan years.

Leagues are not necessarily decided by the clashes of the principal clubs, but there is an indication now that Chelsea will be as mighty a force as they were in the Jose Mourinho era.