Times
Header from John Terry takes Chelsea five points clear at Premier League summit
Header from John Terry takes Chelsea five points clear at Premier League summit
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
As the ska sound of Madness reverberated around a joyous Stamford Bridge yesterday, the beat was almost too much for John Terry to resist. Having taken his team not only one step but five points beyond Manchester United, the Chelsea captain looked ready to burst into dance, but instead he settled for a broad grin, a swagger and a couple of kisses blown to someone special in the crowd.
Forget the £151,000-a-week wage. It is moments like this that make it all worthwhile for a man such as Terry. Having woken, not for the first time, to unedifying headlines about his family on the front pages, with allegations that his father had tried to sell class A drugs to an undercover reporter in an Essex nightclub, Terry needed a pick-me-up of his own and there could be none sweeter than a winning goal against United to establish his team as clear favourites for the Barclays Premier League.
Was it his goal? Put it this way: no one at Chelsea argues with Terry these days, since his decision in the summer to commit the rest of his playing days to the club.
Nicolas Anelka laid a strong claim to the goal at the time, reeling off in celebration after they both rose to meet Frank Lampard’s free kick with 14 minutes remaining, but the forward’s post-match interview seemed to indicate that nobody dared to stand between Terry and his goal — and that, by the look of it, might apply to the Premier League title race, too, given the way that Chelsea are building up momentum under Carlo Ancelotti. United’s players knew that this was a significant setback, not to mention a painful one. When Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that his team had “dominated the game”, it was a mild exaggeration, but it was by no means the stuff of fantasy. They had been the more assertive team throughout, defending diligently and attacking with purpose when the opportunity arose, and would surely have claimed something from the game, quite possibly a victory, had not the two big refereeing decisions gone in Chelsea’s favour.
Had the match ended goalless, Martin Atkinson, the referee, would have ended up with a stern rebuke from Ferguson for refusing to award United a penalty in the fourteenth minute, when Antonio Valencia tumbled after appearing to be impeded by Terry. As it was, the United manager was left in a fury, deeply unhappy both with Atkinson’s award of a free kick, for what looked like a fair tackle by Darren Fletcher on Ashley Cole, and with the manner that Wes Brown was obstructed by Didier Drogba when the ball was whipped in from the left-hand side by Lampard.
Ferguson said that “you lose faith in refereeing sometimes”, which, given that he has never been one to worship at the altar of match officials, no doubt raised a few laughs among Atkinson and his colleagues in the adjacent room.
The United manager was entitled to feel hard done by, though, given that his team, without Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in central defence, had coped admirably to that point with the threat of a Chelsea side who have been in prolific form in recent weeks.
Looking at the two line-ups beforehand, it was hard to avoid the feeling that this was a great opportunity for Chelsea to extend their lead at the top of the table. Yet United made by far the more purposeful start, Fletcher closing down Chelsea’s midfield players at every opportunity, Valencia asking questions of Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney leading the line intelligently, while Jonny Evans and, in particular, Brown excelled in the centre of defence.
When Ferguson claimed, though, that his side had “great chances to win the game”, not too many rushed into the consciousness. Rooney struck the side-netting from a tight angle early on and tested Petr Cech with a clever, curling shot from 25 yards, but otherwise they had little to show for the way they competed in defence and midfield.
While the performance was vastly improved on that in the 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool a fortnight earlier, the failing that Ferguson mentioned on that occasion, their lack of penetration, was again in evidence.
This, though, was a game of few chances. Chelsea briefly threatened through Branislav Ivanovic early on, while Drogba should have done better with a header before half-time, but it seemed that neither side were willing to gamble in pursuit of three points. Only when Ancelotti sent on Joe Cole in place of Deco and, in a more subtle change, swapped Michael Essien with Michael Ballack, allowing the former more freedom to maraud forward, did Chelsea hint at an ambition to go for the win.
The game was transformed, though, when Fletcher was penalised for his challenge on Ashley Cole. As Lampard swung in the free kick, Terry and Anelka attacked the ball with greater conviction than any of United’s defenders, although Brown had an excuse, having been felled, deliberately or otherwise, by Drogba.
United never truly threatened to find a way back into the game after that. Ferguson sent on Gabriel Obertan, the French youngster, and Michael Owen, but by now there was a fierceness about the resolve of Terry and his colleagues in the Chelsea defence. Even as the fourth official indicated that there would be five minutes of stoppage time, it seemed inevitable, for once, that United would fail to get the goal they required.
Rooney walked off the pitch mouthing the words “twelve men” into a television camera — a comment that, it is fair to assume, related to the help Chelsea had received from the referee, rather than the Stamford Bridge crowd. If there was a little bit of that, there was also the decisive contribution of Chelsea’s first man.
It has been a difficult few years for Terry since he last got his hands on the Premier League trophy in 2006, but he and his team-mates are determined that they will be dancing to a different tune at the end of this season. This was only one win, but, as Terry’s expression said, it was also the biggest three points of the campaign so far.
Chelsea (4-3-1-2): P Cech 6 B Ivanovic 6 R Carvalho 7 J Terry 8 A Cole 6 M Ballack 6 M Essien 6 F Lampard 6 Deco 5 N Anelka 7 D Drogba 5. Substitutes: J Cole 5 (for Deco, 63min), S Kalou (for Drogba, 83), Alex (for Anelka, 90). Not used: Hilário, P Ferreira, J O Mikel, F Malouda. Next: Wolves (h).
Manchester United (4-5-1): E van der Sar 6 J O’Shea 7 W Brown 8 J Evans 7 P Evra 7 L A Valencia 6 D Fletcher 6 M Carrick 6 Anderson 6 R Giggs 5 W Rooney 7. Substitutes: G Obertan (for Giggs, 85min), M Owen (for Anderson, 85). Not used: T Kuszczak, N Vidic, Fábio Da Silva, D Gibson, P Scholes. Next: Everton (h).
Referee: M Atkinson. Attendance: 41,836.
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Telegraph:
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
By Jeremy Wilson at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have taken a small but significant step towards reclaiming the Premier League title after securing a 1-0 win over Manchester United that extends their lead at the top of the table to five points.
With United depleted by injuries to both Rio Ferdinand and Dimitar Berbatov, the defending league champions stifled Chelsea until the 76th minute but were ultimately unable to prevent England captain John Terry from heading Frank Lampard’s free-kick beyond Edwin van der Sar, though Nicolas Anelka may claim his toe had the final touch.
The result leaves Arsenal as Chelsea’s nearest challengers and means United have already now lost three times in the league.
Chelsea were going for a club-record 11th consecutive home win and started with marginally the greater purpose. Branislav Ivanovic forced an early save from Edwin van der Sar but, with both teams crowding a rather narrow midfield, Chelsea found it difficult to translate possession into clear chances. Deco, who was playing at the tip of the diamond, was largely anonymous as United’s central trio of Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Michael Carrick closed space and largely nullified Chelsea’s attacking threat.
Their best first-half opportunity fell to Anelka, but Van der Sar moved well to his right to block the Frenchman’s powerful shot. Defensively, Chelsea are the Premier League’s best team just now and, during a cagey first-half, Manchester United could also generate only a flurry of half-chances.
Wayne Rooney shot into the side-netting when he found limited space on the left, while Ryan Giggs lifted the ball over the cross-bar after latching onto Darren Fletcher’s clever through-ball.
With Berbatov unavailable due to a knee injury, Rooney was required to play as the main central striker and he consistently carried the greatest threat as United looked to punish Chelsea on the counter-attack.
However, they were denied one such opportunity on the break when Giggs sportingly stopped playing after Ashley Cole collided with John Terry. Sir Alex Ferguson was unhappy that Chelsea had only stopped playing and demanded Giggs put the ball out of play when their own attack had broken down.
With United’s containing tactics clearly working and frustration apparent from Chelsea supporters at the performance of Deco, it was the name of Joe Cole that began echoing around Stamford Bridge. Their wish was finally ranted in the 63rd minute.
Cole’s arrival did little to alter the pattern of the match and, when United did burst forward, they were creating the better chances. Within the space of a minute, Rooney drove one shot narrowly wide and then forced a diving save from Peter Cech.
With United so effective in breaking up Chelsea’s passing, it was perhaps inevitable that the decisive goal should come courtesy of a set-piece.
Fletcher conceded a disputed foul for a challenge on Ashley Cole and, from the resulting free-kick, Terry glanced a header that flew past Anelka and beyond Van der Sar. There was then further controversy when Jonny Evans was accused of tripping Carvalho after play had stopped, although replays suggested that the Portugal defender had made plenty of the incident.
There was a collective intake of breath when the fourth official indicated five additional minutes of injury-time, but Chelsea held firm to underline their status as favourites for the Premier League title.
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Independent:
Terry deals blow to United's defence of title
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
After the pre-match Remembrance Sunday minute's silence, Sir Alex Ferguson walked off the pitch with his arm linked in Carlo Ancelotti's and stopped at the touchline to ask Ray Wilkins to translate a joke into Italian for the Chelsea manager. What is it they say about Ferguson and rival managers? That he is only chummy with those he does not feel are a threat?
Ninety minutes later, Ferguson will have been obliged to reassess that verdict on his Chelsea counterpart who had just overseen a victory over United that gives everyone at Old Trafford something to think about. Ferguson raged about the referee Martin Atkinson, about his team being the best side on the day, but on the occasion of his side's third league defeat this season that all sounded a little hollow.
Just like that restless left eyebrow of Ancelotti that rises and falls seemingly of its own accord, this title race has become entirely unpredictable. Chelsea are five points clear at the top but have lost games to Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa. United will be only four points ahead of Liverpool if the latter beat Birmingham tonight — and Liverpool are supposed to be in crisis. It says something that Arsenal are currently a byword for consistency.
For now the moment belongs to Ancelotti whose team have not conceded in 872 minutes of football and kept their heads as the game's inevitable grudges and feuds bubbled to the surface. It was never as intense as Moscow last year, or the "Battle of the Bridge" a month earlier but games between these two clubs are sufficiently tight and tense to be decided on the very smallest of details, and so it proved this time.
Nicolas Anelka may or may not have got the final touch on the goal but, if he did, it did little more than deflect off his back after John Terry had flicked on Frank Lampard's free-kick from the left; yet it was the French striker who was the outstanding player of the first half. He, more than anyone, looked like the man most likely to decide the match although Wayne Rooney ran him close in the second half.
This was not one of those epochal Chelsea-United games when you feel one team has either been plunged into trouble or rescued themselves from decline with an improbable victory – as United did almost exactly four years ago with Darren Fletcher's goal at Old Trafford. Yet it was United's third defeat of the season and there is cause for concern about a team who keep losing their way and a manager who keeps moaning about referees.
Even with Rooney, United looked flat in attack. It is not often they miss Dimitar Berbatov but they did yesterday. With Ryan Giggs isolated on the left and Antonio Valencia equally out of touch on the other flank, they just did not have the menace of last season. Cristiano Ronaldo never had his best games against Chelsea – Moscow aside, he never scored against them – but they do really miss him in the big games.
Without an outstanding individual, the game was always likely to turn on something controversial. That was the free-kick that led to the goal that referee Atkinson gave for a fairly innocuous challenge by Fletcher on Ashley Cole on Chelsea's left. As the ball came in, Didier Drogba seemed to pull Wes Brown over. Terry met the cross and Edwin Van der Sar was beaten.
As Terry left the pitch at the end of the game amid the handshakes and the backslapping he stopped for a moment before the tunnel to look up and wave at his two children in the stand. It was a nice moment to share with the family, although there are other members of the Terry clan that he would probably be less disposed to acknowledge in public at the moment.
After his mother accepted a police caution for shoplifting earlier in the year, Terry's father Ted yesterday fell victim to a News of the World sting. Terry senior was caught on camera facilitating a cocaine deal with an undercover reporter which was not the ideal reading for his son on the morning of a big match. Terry did a good job of stopping United's attackers getting to the line. Pity he could not do the same for his father.
But even the Chelsea captain was fortuitous when Valencia got a yard on him in the 14th minute and accelerated past. Terry knew he was beaten for speed and barged into the winger, grabbing him and falling at the same time. It was beautifully executed to convince the referee that both players had simply collided and gone to ground together, but make no mistake: Terry was beaten. It should have been a penalty.
On the balance of decisions, United could perhaps feel hard done by, which was presumably why Rooney mouthed "12th man" at the camera as he came off the pitch. But Drogba had his complaints too, when Jonny Evans jumped into him and appeared to stud the striker. As he waited to return to the pitch after treatment, Drogba was so upset that he lifted his shirt to show the pitchside camera his battle-wounds.
In that moment, and also when Evans had kicked Ricardo Carvalho after play had stopped, the match threatened to boil over but it never quite did. Both midfields smothered each other and the creativity of Michael Carrick, Deco and, later, Joe Cole was never allowed to flourish for a moment. Fletcher had a decent game but his combative nature means he is prone to give away free-kicks in crucial positions.
There were some excellent performances in both defences, especially United where Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were both missing. At the other end Carvalho and Terry were reliable but Branislav Ivanovic was also exceptional, diving to head away a tricky cross deep into injury-time.
This has been the marquee fixture of English football over the last five years and nothing yesterday made you think that these two will not be in contention come May. But for all the glum faces in red shirts and the celebrations on the opposing side no-one was claiming that this was definitive. Neither are indomitable, both are capable of losing games.
Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Essien; Ballack, Deco (J Cole, 63), Lampard; Anelka (Alex, 90), Drogba (Kalou, 83). Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Mikel, Malouda, Ferreira.
Manchester United (4-3-3): Van der Sar; O'Shea, Brown, Evans, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Owen, 85); Valencia, Rooney, Giggs (Obertan, 85). Substitutes not used: Kuszczak, Vidic, Scholes, F Da Silva, Gibson.
Referee: M Atkinson (Leeds)
Booked: Chelsea Ivanovic, Drogba, Carvalho Manchester United: Evans, Rooney, Valencia.
Attendance: 41,836
Man of the match: Anelka
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Guardian:
A triumph of discipline and endurance as Chelsea grind down United
Chelsea 1 Terry 76 Manchester United 0
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge
Sir 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.
There were overtones, too, of one of his predecessors. Chelsea had less of a commitment to attack and were ready to bide their time and that attitude would have earned applause from Jose Mourinho. United, as in former years, left Stamford Bridge trailing grievances behind them.
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 off-side 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. The visitors join Arsenal in being five points adrift of the leaders Chelsea.
Ancelotti's outlook, in truth, is not generally similar to that of Mourinho, but there was a patience and endurance at Stamford Bridge. Those traits were indispensible 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, the often irresistible striker, 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 off-side. It would be churlish not to pardon United if they headed north feeling sorry for themselves. There had been openings, with Petr Cech turning behind a good effort from Rooney in the 69th minute.
Chelsea's struggle to breakdown Manchester United owed much to Antonio Valencia's diligent shepherding of Ashley Cole throughout. Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement was far more diligent when it came to tracking the Chelsea full-back than the Portuguese. Cole made almost as many passes as he did in last year's fixture but far fewer of them were in threatening, advanced positions. None the less, Chelsea had a plan and it delivered the required victory. Ancelotti's side 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, sound 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.
A fixture of this sort is exciting in prospect, the initial placidity of the play, particularly from Chelsea, should not have baffled anyone. 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 when there are fixtures of this sort to be faced.
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.
A sunnier view will maintain that the old guard is capable of continuing to succeed for such a prolonged period that they can gradually and painlessly make way for successors. 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 Mourinho era.
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Mail:
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0:
Nicolas Anelka lands title blow as champions are floored by disputed late winner
By Matt Lawton
Flops and robbers? Well that was pretty much how Sir Alex Ferguson saw this encounter, the Manchester United manager suggesting the result owed as much to the failings of his own side as the failings of the referee.
Match official Martin Atkinson would not have been on Ferguson's Christmas card list anyway after awarding Portsmouth a decisive, rather dubious, penalty in the FA Cup two seasons ago.
Carlos Queiroz, Fergie's No 2 at the time, called Atkinson a 'robber', Ferguson branded him something only marginally less insulting and both of them ended up facing an FA charge, which the pair successfully fought.
United did not see Atkinson for the rest of the season, but he was back in charge at Stamford Bridge yesterday and what an impact he made once again.
First came Atkinson's mistake in awarding Chelsea a free-kick for a 'foul' on Ashley Cole by Darren Fletcher; then the sight of Didier Drogba springing from an offside position and doing enough to distract Edwin van der Sar, forcing the Dutch goalkeeper to delay a dive that might just have denied Nicolas Anelka the all-important winner.
Drogba also dragged Wes Brown to the ground before taking up his position on the six-yard line, but Atkinson and his assistants missed that, too. 'Ridiculous,' fumed Ferguson, and he had a point.
But the United manager was also honest enough to admit that his side lacked their usual potency in attack. That, for all the credit they deserved for the manner in which they defended and their determination in midfield, they were not the side who so impressed at White Hart Lane and Wigan. That, for all the industry of Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia, home keeper Petr Cech was never put under any real pressure.
Whether Ferguson will admit this contest finally exposed how much ground his side have lost in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo is hard to say. But a five-point gap to the leaders will be a worry and so will the fact that Chelsea did not even play that well and still came out on top.
If truth be told, United were better than many expected. They have looked lightweight in midfield at times this season, but in Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson they had three men who were a match for Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien.
Fletcher and Carrick provided an almost impenetrable barrier in front of Brown and Jonny Evans, so much so that Ferguson can only wish that Fletcher had been available for that Champions League final against Barcelona.If they do end up surrendering the title this season, United will go down fighting. That much became apparent yesterday during a clash memorable more for its intensity than the invention of two very good sides.But Chelsea are now the team to beat. A team who score more than all but Arsenal and concede fewer than anyone. A team who, under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, look perfectly prepared and perfectly balanced.
Not since the opening day of the season, and the 2-1 injury-time victory over Hull City, have they conceded a goal at home in the Barclays Premier League and the fact both Liverpool and United have now been here - and failed to score a goal between them - bodes well for what remains of the campaign.
It might also influence what they end up calling Stamford Bridge once they find a sponsor because this place really has become a fortress and Ron Gourlay, the club's new chief executive, would do well to try to reflect that.
Chelsea's desire was almost tangible yesterday. There were moments when their efforts to win this game ventured into dangerous territory, not least when defender Ricardo Carvalho dived in a bid to avoid a booking for a foul on Rooney.
But more often than not success was achieved through honest endeavour. They wanted it that little bit more than United, and it showed.It showed most of all in the performance of their captain, who woke to yet more shocking headlines about his parents yesterday and still somehow remained focused on the job.
Terry demonstrated to his team-mates, once again, that nothing will divert his attention from chasing silverware while he is in a Chelsea shirt. It is quite an example he sets and a reason why managers of Chelsea as well as England trust him to lead their teams.Afterwards, it mattered not to him that the goal had been given to Anelka, only that someone in blue had scored, and that spirit is as evident now as it was during those two title-winning seasons under Jose Mourinho.Inspired by Terry, Chelsea were so devastatingly effective in the way they competed with United.
Terry might have been a little lucky when a tussle in the 14th minute with the fast-advancing Valencia could have resulted in a penalty, but the sight of Rooney trying his luck from distance summed up the difficulties United were having.
The England striker went closest with a curling effort in the 68th minute, forcing the one decent save Cech had to make.In fairness to United, Van der Sar did not have a great deal to do. But when Lampard delivered that 76th-minute free-kick which was met first by Terry and then Anelka, the keeper might have fancied his chances of making a save had he not tried to anticipate the intervention of Drogba.
Van der Sar was furious and so was Rooney. While the United No 1 complained to Atkinson about Drogba, Rooney bemoaned the fact that it should not have been a free-kick in the first place - '12th man,' Rooney appeared to mouth to the television cameras.
Atkinson did not exactly help United, but the better of the two teams, and the team most likely to emerge as champions, still won.
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Sun:
Chelsea 1 Man Utd 0
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 Man Utd 0
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge
JOHN TERRY woke yesterday to unsavoury front page headlines about his dad being an alleged drug dealer.
But the Chelsea skipper restored a modicum of family pride.
He put the Terry name in the headlines for the right reasons, as the Blues went five points clear at the top.
Terry, showing immense character on a difficult day, quite literally rose above it all when he and Nicolas Anelka got a head on Frank Lampard's free-kick for a controversial winner.
It broke United hearts and had Alex Ferguson raging about ref Martin Atkinson.
Fergie claimed Darren Fletcher got the ball when adjudged to have fouled Ashley Cole for the free-kick which led to the 76th-minute goal.
United's boss looked right about that and also argued that Didier Drogba pulled Wes Brown as the kick came in.
The trouble is Fergie complains so often it is very difficult to feel any sympathy for what may have been legitimate gripes.
And it was Atkinson who awarded such a generous amount of injury-time in the Manchester derby, which allowed Michael Owen to bag the clincher. So it is not as if Atkinson has a vendetta against him.
Anelka may ultimately be credited with the final touch but Terry certainly played his part and both men claimed the strike.
It was the victory that really mattered most, though, not who got it.
While the Blues have played better, the sheer determination they are showing under new boss Carlo Ancelotti could bring them a first league title in four years.
They were fortunate here but sometimes that is how it goes. And United have had a few victories themselves already this season they did not fully deserve.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Wayne Rooney, who was here, there and everywhere. No man could have given more than the England striker.
Both Terry and Ancelotti had spoken in the match programme about how important it was to win and establish a healthy lead over their rivals. They argued these are the ones that really count, getting one over on your closest challengers.
But for much of the game, they were chasing their opponents and giving the ball away far too often.
Midfielder Deco got terrible stick, with the fans demanding he be removed even before half-time.
Chelsea rode their luck on occasions, such as when Rooney was flagged offside as he broke away and TV replays showed he was level with the last defender.
It was a crucial decision on a day when the margins were so tight.
Terry also enjoyed good fortune when stumbling into Antonio Valencia in the box and seeing the ref wave away the penalty claims.
Chelsea were so frantic that Ashley Cole and Terry collided with one another attempting to clear.
And Fergie went mad when the ref stopped play with the visitors on the attack and Ancelotti's side two men down.
With so little creativity in evidence, the home fans were singing loudly for the introduction of Joe Cole, who was celebrating his 28th birthday.
They duly got their wish when he replaced Deco.
Rooney continued on his one-man mission to wear Chelsea down, first with a drive across goal which flew narrowly beyond the far post and then a delightful curling effort with his right foot which Petr Cech clawed away.
The temperature went up by a fair number of degrees when Drogba challenged Jonny Evans and the United defender's boot went straight into the striker's chest.
Drogba, another who cries wolf too often, was outraged to be booked and certainly had a case. He lifted his shirt to the linesman to show the imprint of Evans' studs.
Then came the Terry-Anelka goal and it all got a bit ugly after that.
Evans kicked out at Ricardo Carvalho, who had dribbled the ball away when a free-kick was awarded against him for fouling Rooney.
Carvalho and Evans were booked and, as Carvalho fouled Rooney again, an angry Fletcher was demanding the Portuguese defender be sent off.
The final whistle brought cheers of delight and relief round the Bridge.
The Blues knew they had nicked it but they all count.
For the first time, a significant gap has opened up at the top - and Chelsea are showing they are the team to beat.
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Mirror:
Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
By John Cross
Carlo Ancelotti wore the look of a manager destined to win the Premier League after Chelsea struck a major blow in the battle for the title.
It was a look of relief after his team dug in and ground out yet another victory at Stamford Bridge when they barely deserved it.
Chelsea boss Ancelotti will know that his team were lucky as Manchester United certainly did not deserve to lose after a gritty, niggly battle of wills at Stamford Bridge.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is at his most dangerous when his team are written off and his patched-up line-up were hardly given a prayer yesterday.
But when you have Wayne Rooney in your team, you are never going to be lacking in passion, commitment and fight.
For 76 minutes yesterday, United looked the better team and Rooney ran himself into the ground while Darren Fletcher bossed the midfield.
But you can never, ever write off Chelsea. Under Ancelotti, Chelsea have also kept their never-say-die spirit and that is what in the end saw them chalk up an 11th straight home win.
Forget the rather jovial argument between John Terry and Nicolas Anelka as to who got the final touch on the winning header.
The most important thing was that someone did and generally Chelsea have always got the decisive touch when it has mattered this season.
It also takes them five points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and that, even in November and having played a game more, is a pretty daunting advantage.
But what is even more daunting is Chelsea’s ability to win when they are below their best and they certainly were that yesterday.
Ancelotti has won Serie A and Champions League titles with AC Milan and has that magical winning mentality which he has clearly passed on to this Chelsea team and results like yesterday will only strengthen their belief.
United were without their first choice central defensive partnership, Dimitar Berbatov and not given much hope of winning at Stamford Bridge.
But United were much the better team in the first half as Fletcher, Anderson and Michael Carrick ran the midfield while Deco looked lost and Frank Lampard was uncharacteristically subdued.
United’s sticking point was their failure to create enough clear cut chances. Their best before the break came when Fletcher’s terrific through ball released Ryan Giggs but the United veteran showed no composure and lobbed over the bar.
It is a rather depressing statement on Michael Owen’s future at Old Trafford that he does not get a game even when United are so depleted. And for all of United’s domination of possession, they created far too little and missed a finisher.
The game was strangely dull and lacking incident before the 58th minute when finally referee Martin Atkinson dished out a yellow card to Branislav Ivanovic for a late foul on Giggs.
But Michael Ballack inflamed things as he angrily accused Giggs of trying to get Ivanovic booked and, from then on, any hint of peace in our time was gone as tempers began to get frayed.
Finally, Ancelotti bucked the trend when - after the Chelsea crowd chanted his name over and over - he brought on Joe Cole for the ineffective Deco in the 64th minute.
Rooney, with all of his non-stop running and industry, finally forced Chelsea keeper Petr Cech into a brilliant 68th minute save with a curling, dipping shot.
Then things turned really nasty. Jonny Evans lashed out with his foot as he leapt with Didier Drogba and, for once, the Chelsea striker looked hard done by. Drogba went down in agony and got booked for play-acting.
Sadly, Drogba was the little boy who cried wolf and this time, in the 74th minute, he was clearly wronged.
But two minutes later, Chelsea got the all-important winner. Fletcher fouled Ashley Cole and Lampard, coming back to life, swung in a brilliant free kick and Terry and Anelka both rose as the Chelsea captain nodded past Edwin van Der Sar.
United were incensed, claiming Drogba was in an offside position, affecting van Der Sar’s view, and Rooney was booked for his protests.
Tempers then boiled over even more as Ricardo Carvalho and Evans got booked for an ugly clash which nearly sparked a mass brawl. Then Fletcher showed his ugly side as he tried to get Carvalho booked again and sent off for a foul.
It was an ugly, nasty way to finish the game. But then it perhaps showed United’s frustrations and summed up a game which Chelsea won on a battle of wills rather than through quality.
