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.

The real Jeckyll and Hyde...

We really should've seen it coming. Written off against Manchester United - best performance of the season followed. Written off against Chelsea - an incredibly valuable three points secured. Arsenal now lie 7 behind Scolari's side - a truly magnificent riposte to the damning criticisms Arsene Wenger has had to deal with this season. The fixture list appears to be kind to them too over the next few games - next Saturday, it's Wigan at the Emirates. Following that, they're away to Middlesbrough. That should be another 6 points in the bag before heading into a tricky Christmas period that involves a home clash with Liverpool followed by a trip to Villa Park.

It's funny though that the majority of Arsenal supporters will be peering at the Wigan and Boro games from behind the sofa - these matches are exactly where Arsenal drop points. They have lost a staggering five games already this season, including two at home. Clubs like Wigan no longer feel intimidated heading to the Emirates and whereas Highbury was tight, compact and 'anti-away side' in every aspect of its design template, Arsenal's new home doesn't force the same palpitations upon walking out of the tunnel. Steve Bruce might just fancy nicking a point.

What Wenger needs to sort out is his sides' failure to build on a superb and against-the-odds performance - the 2-1 victory over Manchester United was followed by a lukewarm and lacklustre defeat at home to Villa. The mentality of this seems to hint at a lack of motivation and psychological failings. It's easy for Wenger and Arsenal to deliver a high-octane performance against United - the soap-opera past make team talks write themselves while Wenger's personal crusade against Ferguson makes him want it more too. The question is, does that personal crusade cost Arsenal dear in lower-profile matches? Does the ethical vendetta Wenger stirs up against the likes of United, Chelsea and Liverpool damage Arsenal's overall championship credentials? The vendetta comes in the form of Wenger having to work within a rigid budgetry system while these other clubs are involved in soul-less ownership and seem detached from the real world. Take, for example, the transfer costs of the players involved in yesterday's game - Arsenal's side cost the club 36.6million to assemble while Chelsea's lineup cost 95.2million - startling, isn't it?

The upshot is however that in the last four years, Chelsea have won the league twice, finishing second on the other two occasions. They've lost out on the Champions League crown by the width of a goal-post and have reached the semi-finals twice and lifted the Carling Cup twice too. In the same time-span, Arsenal have finished runners-up in the Premier and Champions League and won the Carling Cup. One trophy in four years. Consistency is what's lacking in Arsenal. Maybe it's about time they found some.