Manchester City - 0 Chelsea - 1 As comforting as it must be for Claudio Ranieri to see Chelsea's players lining up to declare their faith in his management, he must wish for similar assurances from Roman Abramovich.
Eidur Gudjohnsen took his turn on Saturday, just as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and John Terry have over the last fortnight, but the manager cannot have helped but notice that Abramovich has steadfastly maintained a policy of omerta.
Being employed by a club whose owner's motives arouse so much suspicion cannot be easy, either for Ranieri or the players he has assembled with Abramovich's millions. The uncertainty does not promote a spirit of togetherness so, however fortuitous this victory and however patchy their form over the last two months, Ranieri should be commended now they are above Manchester United and threatening to finish ahead of them for the first time since 1990.
Having scored the goal that saw them leapfrog United on goal difference, Gudjohnsen made the point that a first-ever second-placed finish in the Premiership should ordinarily represent a successful season.
"The manager has always said the aim this season was to improve and second place would be a huge improvement. For me, it would be an achievement in itself to finish above Manchester United. I mean, how many years is it since Chelsea have done that?
"All this speculation about the manager is not helping anyone. It's not for me to tell Chelsea how to act but it's time people got off his back. We can only get better with this group of players but it was always going to take time when you have so many new signings. Maybe next season will be the championship season."
Ranieri's vulnerability is not, however, a media invention. Abramovich's continued silence speaks volumes, as do the negative vibes emanating from chief executive Peter Kenyon. Chelsea are an exceptionally impatient club in an impatient business, and Abramovich and Kenyon share the old Liverpool maxim that first is first, second is nowhere. Finishing as runners-up may save Ranieri's job, but only if he wins the European Cup, too.
Besides, hailing Chelsea as the second-best team in England right now can hardly be done with conviction, given the luck that accompanied this victory.
Even by City's standards of wastefulness, this was a remarkable demonstration of profligacy from Kevin Keegan's players. Out-passing opponents without outscoring them has become a regular theme of their first season at the City of Manchester stadium.
"Claudio summed it up better than me," said Keegan. "He said: 'You played fantastic, we played poor. You lose and we win. It's football - crazy.' And then he just walked off."
Nicolas Anelka would surely have accepted one of City's numerous chances had he had not been suspended, but at least Robbie Fowler is showing glimpses of his true form.
Earlier this season Fowler was carrying much excess baggage, but he has shed pounds and looks motivated again. Steve McManaman, too, has greatly improved, whereas Shaun Wright-Phillips, arguably their best player this season, gave Wayne Bridge a torrid afternoon - although it was a lovely pass from the latter with the outside of his left boot that set up Gudjohnsen to lob David James for a goal he described as "daylight robbery".
