Manchester United v Chelsea, 1-1

Louis Saha scored a brilliant goal but had an unwanted hand in the other as Manchester United and Chelsea shared the spoils in their top-of-the-table clash. The Red Devils striker delightfully curled his side into the lead shortly before the half-hour mark, but his deflection proved crucial as Ricardo Carvalho's header earned the reigning two-times Barclays Premiership champions a point at Old Trafford.

United were first to threaten after Michael Ballack's foul on Cristiano Ronaldo, but Ryan Giggs' free-kick was headed comfortably wide by Wayne Rooney. Giggs was also instrumental in United's next attack as he turned Geremi inside-out before delivering a teasing near-post cross which was bravely headed clear by John Terry. Ronaldo took the opportunity to threaten Carlo Cudicini's goal from another long-range free-kick, but his fizzing effort was turned over the bar by the Italian keeper. Terry blocked Rooney's effort before Claude Makelele became the first name in referee Howard Webb's notebook for a handball.

Saha broke the deadlock with a moment of brilliance shortly before the half-hour mark. Seizing upon Rooney's pass, the France striker bided his time before curling a delicious left-footed finish around Carvalho and into the narrowest of gaps inside Cudicini's right-hand post, the ball shaving the woodwork on its way in. Saha broke into the box moments later but wasted the chance as his attempted square ball to Rooney was intercepted by Carvalho when the shot seemed a better option.

Drogba was booked for an aerial clash with Nemanja Vidic before Edwin van der Sar was forced to dive and parry away Geremi's thumping long-range effort. Giggs then brilliantly beat the over-committed Carvalho but failed to pick out Saha or Ronaldo. The Portugal winger started the second half with a sprint in behind the Blues defence, but Ashley Cole showed electric pace to recover and block his cross for a corner.

From Michael Carrick's neat reverse pass immediately afterwards, Rooney stayed on his feet under Drogba's robust challenge in the box but his cross was miscontrolled by Saha, the loose ball narrowly evading a lunging Ronaldo.

Andriy Shevchenko then shot wildly over after a scramble on the edge of the box before Carrick brought down Frank Lampard to earn a yellow card.

Gabriel Heinze's cross looked certain to yield a second United goal but Ronaldo failed to control the ball on his chest and Terry's sprawling lunge was enough to distract Saha following up. Shevchenko then curled a fine effort wide from the edge of the box before Drogba's header flashed off target from Ballack's cross.

Ronaldo's cross-shot forced a sharp save from Cudicini and Van der Sar was similarly tested by Lampard's effort from range, the England midfielder then firing over from Drogba's lay-off.

Carrick was having a tidy game and showed good application to prevent Arjen Robben's twisting run ending in any more than a corner, from which Ronaldo led a breakneck counter-attack before his run was ended by more impressive defensive work from Cole.

Chelsea drew level with 20 minutes remaining when Carvalho's bullet header from Lampard's corner got a slight touch from Saha on the line, which steered it against underside of bar and beyond Van der Sar's despairing dive.

Scholes' long-range drive was deflected wide by the body of the prone Saha before Joe Cole replaced the ineffective Shevchenko. Drogba then broke into the box but was muscled off the ball by Heinze before Ashley Cole made another telling interception to prevent Ronaldo getting a cross or shot away.

Referee Howard Webb, who controlled the big occasion impressively throughout, then booked the England full-back for a foul on Ronaldo, who immediately signalled for a substitute. Darren Fletcher was the man called for as John O'Shea also replaced Saha, who appeared to be feeling a hamstring niggle. Makelele's ambitious effort flashed wide as the 75,948 crowd watched the game close out into a draw.