Chelsea v Manchester United: Immediate feedback...

Hmmm...Where do we start? United's second loss to a top-four side in quick succession, their London rivals move five points ahead and, possibly more ominously than both those things, level on points with Arsenal with the Gunners having played two games less.

But, some very positive aspects to United this afternoon - not least that their performance was right up there as one of their most impressive so far this season. It was the visitors that bossed midfield - doing to Chelsea what they had hoped to do to their bitter Northern rivals. The effectiveness of Darren Fletcher, who was at the fulcrum of every stifling of the Chelsea diamond, cannot be overstated. Missing him at Anfield was a momentous loss, not least because of the usual incredibly high standard of his play when against the top domestic sides. Today, the Scot and Carrick finally seemed to gel as a pair, with the latter's ball retention and passing completions of a particularly good standard. Anderson contributed his combativeness to proceedings from a little higher up the pitch, making it difficult for Michael Essien to (a) settle on the ball and (b) charge up the pitch on those rampaging runs we've come to expect from him. Ballack and Deco could never get a rhythm going with the Portuguese' ineffectiveness ensuring his inevitable withdrawal while Lampard was patrolled excellently by John O'Shea.

So, United will be frustrated with the defeat, of that there's no doubt. But, in the long-run, this performance can provide Sir Alex Ferguson's side with the ammunition with which to finally ignite their season. Their central defensive problems, so apparent mid-week against CSKA Moscow, were extinguished today - the conceded goal a result of a poor refereeing decision and some super finishing by the Chelsea captain. Their midfield was solid and determined with Carrick's early-season patchiness non-existent and with Rooney as a leading man, they always have a chance. But, there are still problems.

The end product from Valencia is still poor, as is his inability to cut inside when counter-attacking - his pace is frightening but can be dealt with easily by opposing full-backs who know how to marshal down the touchline. On the other side, there is a huge gap that needs to be filled sooner rather than later. Giggs today was effective and is always a natural leader but his deputies, namely Nani, have not proved their worth. Park is a useful squad member while Tosic is still incredibly unproven at the highest level, despite his clear talent and potential. The Berbatov question still lingers and puzzles though a side that includes the Bulgarian is surely a better proposition than one that excludes him.

So, where does this leave the Premier League title-race? Chelsea look to be well set-up, especially over the next number of league games - Wolves at home, Arsenal away, Man City away and Everton at home. They should be looking to take 10 points from 12 and then prepare for an incredibly simplistic-looking festive season that takes in encounters with Everton, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Fulham. United's next few games probably shouldn't be viewed as difficult though an away trip to West Ham in early December could prove problematic. For Arsenal, today's result could prove a major positive in their quest to feature prominently in the run-in though games with Chelsea and Liverpool before the Christmas fixtures could lead to dropped points and a tail-off in their current emphatic displays.

Plenty of time left though. Plenty of talking points too, no doubt.