There was a moment when Manchester United’s supporters could be heard reminding Jose Mourinho of the common suspicion that he had once harboured strong ambitions for David Moyes’s job.

The Chelsea manager responded with a smile and wave, then settled back to watch his team inflict another grievous setback to Moyes’s first season at this level.

Mourinho batted away the insults with the kind of nonchalance with which his players would find a way through the opposition defence. “David Moyes, we want you to stay!” piped up Chelsea’s fans in response, echoing a song that has become part of the soundtrack to United’s season. The champions, 14 points off the top off the top of the Premier League, have been stranded and, from here, nobody can be sure they have the personnel to clamber into the Champions League places.

No one ever assumed it was going to be easy for Moyes but seven defeats in 22 league games still represents an ignominious haul and, for the latest, they helped to transport Samuel Eto’o back to the days when he used to menace the world’s most accomplished defences.

Mourinho was asked afterwards about the title race and mentioned six clubs, including Everton, Liverpool and Spurs. United were an afterthought and Moyes sounded like a man going through the motions when he insisted he would not give up.

Halcyon days
Eto'o will prize the match ball after a hat-trick that acted as a throwback to his younger days. United, all the same, were obliging opponents. They are entitled to have grievances about Nemanja Vidic's late red card, when a booking would have sufficed

for his scything challenge on Eden Hazard. But they were also extremely fortunate Rafael da Silva did not follow him in stoppage time for his two-footed tackle on Gary Cahill.

The bigger picture is that a team with their ambitions cannot defend this generously and expect to get away with it.

Chelsea played with know-how; United lacked it.

Chelsea did not even have to reach their most illuminating heights to win convincingly.

Mourinho’s team withstood some early pressure and there were flashes of excellence that reminded everyone why Adnan Januzaj is attracting so much acclaim, but in other departments the home side were superior.

Hazard, Oscar and Willian flickered only sporadically, but this was a victory for their organisation and togetherness.

Chelsea are back to within two points of Arsenal and have won six straight games. Mourinho is also showing, once again, his qualities as a manager of rare achievement.

A lot of people would have been surprised to see Eto’o even make the starting line-up ahead of Fernando Torres. The late injury for Torres, damaging knee ligaments after coming on as a substitute, ensures the Cameroonian an extended run.

Crucial deflection
His first goal, after 17 minutes, was a reminder of the old Eto'o, as he changed direction, cut in from the right and curled a left-foot shot over David de Gea, courtesy of a small yet crucial deflection off Michael Carrick's boot.

Jones looked as though his feet were stuck in treacle and the breakthrough came at a key time for Chelsea.

Missing Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, United at least have the basis of an excuse. They are far too reliant on the 18-year-old Januzaj and, again, there was more evidence about the shortcomings of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young in wide positions.

Yet it must be troubling for Moyes that his defence looks so vulnerable. Eto’o’s hat-trick goal, four minutes into the second half, emanated from a straightforward corner, a free header for Cahill and a question of who would be first to the rebound after the ball had spun off De Gea.

It was only moments before that Valencia had realised Eto’o was unmarked inside the six-yard area and sprinted back to cover him. Yet Eto’o showed the greater anticipation and intent and easily held him off.

Moyes used the word “terrible” to describe it and he must have been appalled as well by the goal that made it 2-0. Again, it came from a corner. Danny Welbeck cleared but Ramires rolled it back into the penalty area and Eto’o was unmarked to turn in Cahill’s low centre.

Vidic’s final contribution smacked of frustration and Mourinho killed the visitors with flattery afterwards.

He wanted them to finish in the top four, he said, but only because it would mean them taking points off the other teams with genuine title aspirations.
Guardian Service