ALEX FERGUSON could not resist taking a sly swipe at Chelsea as Manchester United prepared for their first visit to Stamford Bridge since Patrice Evra was caught up in a brawl with a groundsman who had taken exception to the players "warming down" while he was mowing the grass.

"It will be interesting to see what they have on the pitch on Sunday," Ferguson mused. "Maybe they'll have a combine harvester waiting for us this time."

Evra is due to appear before an FA inquiry on October 2nd and Ferguson insisted the defender had a "fair case" to be acquitted, the allegation from United being that he was provoked by racial insults, which Chelsea deny. The incident has damaged the already fraught relationship between the two clubs and Ferguson, who rarely misses an opportunity to undermine United's opponents, insisted the clashes with Chelsea never meant as much as when his team were playing Arsenal.

"If you look back over the last 12 or 13 years, who has it been? Arsenal v Manchester United, Manchester United v Arsenal. Of course we've got Chelsea at the moment, but the history of Arsenal and Manchester United means that you're not just talking about winning a football match, you're talking about your history against the other team's history."

Chelsea, according to Ferguson, are merely "beginning a history" although, that said, he regards them as United's most authentic challengers and has noted a difference in their style of play since Luiz Felipe Scolari's appointment, particularly now that Michael Essien has suffered a long-term injury.

"The difference is Deco, who's a different type of midfield player to what they have had in the past. They've always relied on the power and athleticism of Essien. (Claude) Makelele was a very important cog in their machine too. But now they have a different type of player - a diminutive, clever, nice footballer, and that has made a difference to the way they play."

United have not scored more than one goal in any match this season and a defeat would leave them nine points behind Chelsea, albeit with a game in hand. "We don't want to be trailing," Ferguson continued. "We don't want to be nine points behind Chelsea. We don't want to be nine points behind anyone. So obviously we've got a job to do.

"All I'm looking for is my team to start putting the ball into the net. We're not scoring enough goals. If we could do that, it would turn the whole thing around. But it will come. By October we will be fine, there's no question about that."

Guardian Service