SOCCER/Manchester Utd - 1 Chelsea - 3: Chelsea, with two trophies secured, could have endured a defeat but it was Manchester United who had to do all the suffering.

A late goal from Joe Cole, who should have been ruled offside, confirmed the Old Trafford team will finish the season in third place. They have also seen their record for the highest points total in the Premiership surpassed by Chelsea.

For the first time in 103 League matches, too, United have been overcome after taking the lead.

Alex Ferguson may have been genuinely appreciative of Chelsea when he ruled his players should applaud the new champions on to the field, but there is also a degree of threat about such a scene. The United side were eyeing up opponents whom they wished to reduce to a crestfallen state.

While Roy Keane was booked before the interval for a mistimed tackle on Cole, it was always hard to tell whether those emotions would prove deep enough to fuel the match for a whole 90 minutes. Chelsea, with more reason to be pleased, could have been less committed.

John Terry had probably underlined this meeting with United in his diary at one stage, but now he preferred to give precedence to an appointment with a surgeon and the mending of a foot will excuse him England's trip to the US this month.

Frank Lampard will not be crossing the Atlantic either since he has a similar problem that needs an operation, but he still emerged from the tunnel at Old Trafford. He might not have cared about the occasion so much as the fact participation extended his record to 145 consecutive appearances in the Premiership.

United did begin as if they meant to make it an unhappy outing for Lampard. They have an FA Cup final with Arsenal to consider as well and the exclusion of Ryan Giggs from even the bench, with Louis Saha seated there instead, showed Ferguson ensuring there is agitation and a vying for involvement in Cardiff.

Ruud van Nistelrooy pressed his case with a first league goal since November. It was delivered, too, in a way that highlighted his judgment and Glen Johnson's gaucheness. The Dutchman knew the full back had kept him onside and held his position to turn in a cross-cum-shot from Wayne Rooney in the seventh minute.

"We need to put down a marker with Chelsea," Ferguson had written in his programme notes. There were personal motivations in that statement since his clashes with Mourinho have so far brought defeat in the Champions League, by Porto, the Premiership and the League Cup.

Despite the Premiership trophy, Chelsea were not so benign as to present United with an easy win. They began to pass the ball with more patience than Ferguson's men and their poise grew. Nonetheless, the equaliser was still astonishing because the prolonged move that led Claude Makelele to lay the ball off to Tiago still left the midfielder stationed 30 yards from the target.

He has not been a complete success this season, but his swerving drive left the goalkeeper Roy Carroll motionless before it brushed the inside of a post to fly into the net. United would later cause havoc, with Ricardo Carvalho making a perfect challenge to stop van Nistelrooy from capitalising on Paul Scholes' pass.

Shortly before the interval, though, Mikäel Silvestre was caught in possession. On the counter-attack, Tiago and Gudjohnsen opened up space for Cole, who cut inside to bend a finish marginally wide.

Mourinho's team were fashioning opportunities because of the space they enjoyed on the break. A splendid pass by Cole after 49 minutes sent Johnson clear but he lacked the confidence to finish with his left foot and cover arrived as he dithered.

United were more persistently adventurous than they had been in the first half and there was for a while a contrast of styles, if not eras. While Chelsea were prepared to bide their time, Ferguson's players were ready to take risks. After a neat combination between Cristiano Ronaldo and Scholes in the 56th minute, Darren Fletcher swept a 25-yarder against the bar.

It was to be Chelsea's deft stealth that broke the deadlock. While United were right to protest that Geremi had raised an arm to foul Ronaldo, they should still have been more vigilant as the visitors sprang. Tiago's through ball was exquisite and Gudjohnsen walked round Carroll to score.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Carroll, Gary Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fletcher (Saha 72), Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, van Nistelrooy. Subs not used: Howard, Smith, O'Shea, Fortune. Booked: Keane, van Nistelrooy. Goal: van Nistelrooy 7.

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Johnson (Jarosik 72), Ricardo Carvalho, Huth, Gallas, Geremi, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Cole (Grant 90), Gudjohnsen (Nuno Morais 86). Subs not used: Cech, Forssell. Booked: Makelele, Lampard, Gallas. Goals: Tiago 17, Gudjohnsen 61, Cole 82.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).