18/01/2003  Manchester United 2 Chelsea 1

A nightmare returned for Chelsea at Old Trafford as Diego 
Forlan left them on their knees for the second time in a 
month.

Just as he had done in the Worthington Cup quarter-final on 
their previous visit to the Theatre of Dreams, Forlan rendered 
a defiant Chelsea performance worthless, and this time the 
rewards are so much greater.

As the game went into stoppage time, Arsenal looked set to 
be the only winners as the Premiership heavyweights continued 
to slug it out, still locked together after Paul Scholes had 
levelled Eidur Gudjohnsen's opener by netting for the fifth 
successive game.

But a moment of inspiration from Juan Sebastian Veron set 
fellow substitute Forlan away in the box. The Uruguayan set 
his aim, pulled the trigger and hit the bullseye by blasting a 
shot beyond Carlo Cudicini.

As so often in the past, Forlan celebrated by removing his 
shirt. The goal came so late, he barely had time to put it 
back on.

It left Chelsea reeling and visitors boss Claudio Ranieri 
could barely believe his luck after watching his team start 
brightly, overcome the early loss of their leading striker and 
then battle back after seeing their lead snatched away by 
Scholes.

Any Barcelona scouts running the rule over their intended 
£6million investment had a short afternoon as Jimmy Floyd 
Hasselbaink - reportedly in serious talks with the Catalan 
giants - left the field after just 16 minutes, failing to 
recover from Phil Neville's robust early challenge.

Neville had kept his place in an unchanged United side, 
even though Ferguson had Ryan Giggs and Veron available, and 
the England international was one of the few red shirted 
heroes to shine in a poor first-half from which the home side 
were fortunate to emerge on level terms.

Petit was the outstanding midfielder on view, Mario 
Melchiot led a rock solid Chelsea defensive effort and with 
Graeme le Saux, Hasselbaink, and then his replacement 
Gianfranco Zola, all causing Fabien Barthez problems with 
inswinging corners, the only surprise about the Londoners 
going in front was that it took so long to get there.

Le Saux had one shot saved by Barthez after he stepped 
inside Gary Neville on taking Jesper Gronkjaer's cut-back, 
then Petit fired wide after Roy Keane and Phil Neville had 
messed up a routine clearance.

With Petit pulling the strings, Chelsea seemed to pick 
holes in United at will and after the French international had 
robbed Phil Neville on halfway, he found a gap wide enough to 
drive a bus through, pushing the ball on for Gudjohnsen to 
finish with a clever flick over the advancing Barthez.

United's only threat had come through Beckham's penalty 
appeal for handball against Celestine Babayaro which on first 
glance looked optimistic but replays revealed to be far more 
obvious.

Either way, referee Paul Durkin turned it down and, for all 
the industry of Keane, Beckham and Scholes, United would 
probably not have drawn level had Carlo Cudicini not suffered 
a mental lapse when he raced back to hoof a backpass away from 
danger, finding Beckham by the touchline instead of smashing 
it into the stand.

The England skipper needed no second invitation and after 
steadying himself, dropped a superb curling cross onto 
Scholes' head and the flame-haired goal machine did the 
rest.

Giggs' introduction at the interval brought a standing 
ovation from the home supporters who had been so critical of 
the Welshman's last fitful appearance against Blackburn.

More importantly for Ferguson, it also brought an extra 
edge to United's attacking play.

Giggs forced a corner and sprinted to take it short to 
Beckham and he swung the ball onto Solskjaer's boot - the 
Norwegian's volley coming crashing back off a post.

Briefly, Chelsea wobbled. Jesper Gronkjaer deflected a 
Scholes drive wide, then Desailly blocked a Beckham cross with 
his chest which again brought howls of 'handball' from the 
Stretford End.

Gudjohnsen led the visitors' revival, sucking Scholes and 
Wes Brown into tackles he easily evaded before launching a 
venomous 20-yard effort which Barthez could only beat away.

Rio Ferdinand managed to get in the way of Frank Lampard's 
powerful drive before the home side swept upfield with a slick 
passing move which ended when Cudicini atoned for his earlier 
error by turning Ruud van Nistelrooy's downward header round 
his post.

The Italian went into credit shortly afterwards with 
another full length save from Forlan's bobbling effort, the 
Uruguayan having replaced van Nistelrooy as Ferguson looked to 
inject fresh life into his attack.

Forlan looked to have wasted United's last chance when he 
failed to control David Beckham's knock-back just six yards 
out. But Veron's brilliant pass offered a reprieve and this 
time the South American emerged a hero.