Two more wins will do it for Manchester United. Supporters of other clubs may stifle an envious yawn, but beating Coventry at home on Saturday would give Alex Ferguson's team the chance to confirm their seventh Premiership title by beating Manchester City, also at Old Trafford, the following week.

While it is possible to argue that United have not been at their best since the New Year, the fact is they are still the best team in England by a margin.

Defeat by Charlton would have been the first time United had lost three games in succession since late 1996, but well though the Londoners played, there was never any chance of that.

United were almost ahead within a minute, Nicky Butt's lobbed cross from a Paul Scholes through ball all but turned home by a sliding Dwight Yorke; Scholes himself almost got on the end of a low Roy Keane cross shortly afterwards. Keane was everywhere in the opening period, evidently still smarting after coming out such a distant second best to Steven Gerrard in the 2-0 defeat at Anfield 10 days ago. It was his pass, breaking from a Charlton corner, which gave Gary Neville the chance to put in a cross from which the unmarked Yorke should have at least tested Sasa Ilic in the Charlton goal.

At this stage Charlton were taking an old-fashioned battering, but as the force of the United storm inevitably began to drop a little, the Londoners began to show they had not come only to defend.

Only a last ditch tackle by Denis Irwin stopped Jonatan Johansson getting in a close range shot after a Scott Parker run and pass, and the hugely promising young midfielder almost produced a remarkable goal a few minutes later, landing a 30-yard chip on the bar; whether Fabien Barthez had it covered is a moot point.

Now the action was at both ends. Claus Jensen stung Barthez's hands from 25 yards, and Cole somehow poked a Ryan Giggs cross wide from the six-yard line after getting to it before the diving Ilic. Referee Mark Halsey also had the nerve to turn down two United penalty appeals which lesser referees might have given.

Unfortunately for Charlton, the referee played another less beneficial role shortly before the break. Yorke, running from deep within his own half and hurdling tackles as he went, crossed to Cole; the centre-forward's first shot was blocked, but came back to him via a fortuitous rebound off Mr Halsey. Given an unexpected second opportunity, Cole buried it in the far corner.

Concerned at the ease with which Giggs and Keane were finding space down the flanks, Alan Curbishley switched to a flat back four. Even then Giggs' pace and trickery on a greasy surface were far too much for Mark Fish to cope with, but the South African defender was in the right place shortly after the break, clearing a Giggs shot from Nicky Butt's cross off his line.

Five minutes later Keane, powering forward yet again, was allowed to take the ball almost to the edge of the area before shooting hard and low. The diving Ilic pushed the ball on to the post.

A second goal had to come, and it did, but amazingly, it wasn't scored by United. Parker skipped skilfully out of a challenge and found Johansson on the right. The Finnish international drove the ball in low, and Gary Neville's attempted clearance was scuffed only as far as Fish, who scored from close range.

Back came United and an Irwin cross drifted beyond Ilic and back off the angle of post and bar. When Scholes then hit the post, Charlton must have sensed they could hang on. But where there is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer there is hope; minutes after coming on the little Norwegian striker was lurking in the penalty area to turn in an Irwin cross. Shortly after that telling contribution, an injured Irwin was stretchered from the pitch.

Manchester United: Barthez, Gary Neville, Brown, Irwin (Phil Neville 90), Silvestre, Scholes, Butt (Solskjaer 77), Keane, Giggs, Yorke (Sheringham 78), Cole. Subs Not Used: Goram, Beckham. Booked: Butt. Goals: Cole 45, Solskjaer 82.

Charlton: Ilic, Kishishev (Konchesky 73), Powell, Stuart (Robinson 59), Rufus, Parker, Todd, Jensen (Kinsella 59), Johansson, Fish, Bartlett. Subs Not Used: Svensson, Caig. Booked: Konchesky. Goals: Fish 63.

Referee: M Halsey (Heartfordshire).