Man Utd vs Chelsea

So often when the top teams in the Premier League clash, the first goal is crucially important. And when that goal comes in the 76th minute, generally it's enough to take the win.

John Terry rose above the Manchester United defense to flick in Frank Lampard's free kick with 13 minutes left to hand Chelsea all three points and leave them five points clear at the top of the Premiership table.

The last few meetings between these teams, who have dominated the English Premier League for the past five years, have been extremely close and Sunday was no different.

The teams traded blows throughout the afternoon, with neither creating an abundance of real clear cut chances.

The first half was particularly tight, with both teams primarily restricted to taking a number of low long range shots. Either side the half hour mark, each side had their best chance of the half.

First, Ryan Giggs flicked first time over Petr Cech but also also over the crossbar when he might have taken a touch. Then Nicolas Anelka cut inside from the right channel, and struck a left footed shot across goal that Edwin Van der Sar kept out with a one-handed save.

The game opened up a little in the second half, but the flow of opportunities did not increase as both sides defended stoutly. Lax refereeing on the part of Martin Atkinson, who allowed the players to get away with too much, meant the game became more and more chippy as it wore on.

A flashpoint occurred with 15 minutes to go when Johnny Evans went up for a header with Didier Drogba and caught the Ivorian striker in the chest with his boot. Much to the frustration of Chelsea who felt Evans' action was intentional, the defender escaped punishment and it was Drogba who went into the book.

A couple minutes later, Chelsea was in front in controversial circumstances. Darren Fletcher was penalized for a challenge on Ashley Cole where he seemed to get the ball. On the ensuing kick, which Terry headed in, United argued that Drogba was not only in an offside position, but also tugged Wesley Brown to the ground.

Their protests fell on deaf ears, and as Chelsea looked to protect their lead, off-the-ball infractions and fouls grew more and more frequent.

Chelsea defended admirably in the last few minutes, withstanding United pressure who rained balls into the box and won a number of corners. The last opportunity of the game fell to Antonio Valencia when a loose ball fell to him in the box. He snatched at the chance however, and pulled his shot well wide ending United's hope of repeating their late midweek comeback against CSKA Moscow.