SUMMARY
Chelsea's unbeaten start to the season is over after an afternoon of frustration at Old Trafford.

Both sides could have had a hatful of goals following an entertaining game littered with errors at either end, but it was the hosts who made the better of their chances to go clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Chris Smalling gave them an early lead before Nani and Wayne Rooney added to the score before half-time, with Ramires guilty of missing a simple opportunity at 1-0, only for Fernando Torres to pull a goal back immediately after the start of the second half.

United could then have had a fourth with a penalty before Torres himself missed a sitter, consigning us to a third straight defeat at Old Trafford.

It took United only seven minutes to go in front when Ashley Young's cross was headed home by an unmarked, yet offside Smalling.

Chelsea should have been at least level by the time Nani doubled the lead 10 minutes before half-time, Torres dragging wide and Ramires inexplicably failing to beat David De Gea from mere feet, but both chances went begging and the Portuguese winger fired an unstoppable drive into Petr Cech's top corner to put United firmly in control.

Wayne Rooney's gifted third came a minute before half-time and seemed to all but confirm the home side's win, but Chelsea came back after half-time and Torres scored his first of the season 30 second into the second half after sub Nicolas Anelka had found his well-timed run.

Rooney missed a penalty after Jose Bosingwa had felled Nani, but the Blues' miserable afternoon was completed inside the final 10 minutes when Torres rounded De Gea only to shoot wide.

It is the first defeat of the season, but leaves us trailing the leaders by five points, with United maintaining their 100 percent record.

BEST MOMENT
Chelsea's fans singing 'We're gonna win the league' at the final whistle, drowning out the 70,000- plus home support, despite suffering a defeat that had been on the cards since early in the first half.

TEAM NEWS
Andre Villas-Boas had plenty of options in all areas, though Didier Drogba was still ruled out after suffering concussion in late August.

Despite his numerous choices, the manager made just one change from the side that won at Sunderland eight days earlier, with Fernando Torres restored to the starting 11 and Nicolas Anelka dropping to the bench.

That meant another start in midfield for Raul Meireles, while Frank Lampard and John Terry both returned from a midweek rest in the Champions League.

David Luiz dropped to the bench, where Romelu Lukaku was preferred to Salomon Kalou.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson kept faith with youth, as Jonny Evans was partnered in central defence by Phil Jones. Darren Fletcher returned in midfield behind forwards Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, the Englishman frequently dropping deep to start attacks.

FIRST HALF
Considering Chelsea's start here at the back end of last season when Hernandez had United in front inside a minute, Villas-Boas would have wanted to keep things tight early on but it was not to be.

A Chelsea chance after three minutes, Ramires firing low and hard at United keeper David De Gea, suggested the Blues had learned their lesson, but United's first set-piece proved otherwise.

Chris Smalling looked offside from Ashley Young's whipped delivery, but the flag was not raised and the England defender was left to head beyond Petr Cech into the top corner from six yards. Defensively it was poor from the Blues, who have now kept just one clean sheet from the past eight league games.

As they have in previous outings this season though, United were generous in conceding chances. Anderson gifted Torres the ball 30 yards out and after getting into a shooting position between two defenders, the Spaniard should have hit the target but shot wide, and then Branislav Ivanovic sent a header straight into De Gea's arms from a Juan Mata corner.

With just over 20 minutes on the clock it was the visitors creating the lion's share of opportunities.

Having justly survived a handball scare at the other end, Lampard might have found the target after Sturridge and Meireles had combined to find him inside the area.

Then Ramires should have levelled. Mata slipped Torres in through the left channel, the forward squared and there was the Brazilian with the net ready to bulge. Instead he slid and side-footed only into De Gea's body, a real sitter, but proof once more that United are permeable.

United rarely give too much without taking though, and Chelsea were made to rue the missed opportunities with nine minutes remaining in the first half.

Receiving a cross-field pass way out on the right wing, Nani looked to pose little threat, but after cutting inside Mata, the Portuguese winger was allowed to advance further without a challenge. Sensing an invitation to shoot, he did to devastating effect, firing hard past Cech's reach and into the top corner.

No goalkeeper would have saved it, but Cech must be annoyed that Nani was allowed to advance so far.

United's third came just before half-time, and surely signalled the end of Chelsea's hopes of taking anything back south.

Phil Jones surged forward and when his pass was cut out by Terry, the defender attempted to clear, only for Nani to block and the ball to fall to Rooney eight yards out. On current form, the forward does not miss from there, and duly slammed home his ninth league goal in five appearances of this season.

SECOND HALF
For all of Chelsea's chances, Villas-Boas and his men found themselves three behind. What could the manager say at half-time to alter the direction of this game?

He opted to introduce Anelka, lively in midweek, for Lampard. Mata had been shifted from the left into the middle, providing a three-pronged support to Torres while Ramires and Meireles would sit deeper. The change had an immediate impact.

Operating on the left, Anelka played a smart ball into the channel between United's defenders for Torres, whose run was perfectly timed, and the forward calmly lifted the ball over De Gea. Less than 30 second-half seconds had passed.

The goal provided Chelsea with a spark, a hint that all was not yet lost. Mata almost snuck a second inside De Gea's near post but had to make do with a corner, before United should have wrapped it up.

First, Nani's shot was deflected onto the bar having beaten Cech, before the winger reacted first and lined up his shot into a gaping net, only for Bosingwa to bring him down for a penalty. On another day the defender could have been sent off, but ref Phil Dowd showed leniency.

Rooney stepped up confidently but slipped at the decisive moment, and fluffed his effort wide. The striker allowed himself a slight grin, but it was Chelsea who could smile. It was a huge let off and kept the game alive.

Ferguson responded by replacing Anderson with Michael Carrick and Smalling with Antonio Valencia, while Villas-Boas prepared Lukaku.

Before the Belgian could be introduced Jones headed wide from a corner for United. After he was, Chelsea forced a string of our own corners, ending when Ivanovic glanced a header wide of the far post.

After early hints of recovery, United were starting to look more comfortable. Then Torres had two opportunities, the first was a left-footer spilled by De Gea, the second from the rebound a half-volley struck wildly over the crossbar.

At the other end Rooney scuffed another gilt-edged chance against the post, Hernandez shooting the resultant rebound wide under pressure from Cole. The Mexican required lengthy treatment after the left-back's heavy challenge, and was replaced by Dimitar Berbatov.

The game was slipping away, but still chances came. Ramires played a perfect pass through for Torres, who skipped around De Gea with the confidence of old, only to skew his shot wide from about seven yards. How that could have changed the final few minutes.

Rooney headed straight at Cech on a United break as they threatened to make it four, and then in injury-time the same player raced clear but squared to Berbatov, whose shot was cleared off the line by a determined Cole.

It was to be the last meaningful action of a strange afternoon, which will leave Villas-Boas perplexed at how his side came away with nothing, but perhaps that encouraged that any gap between ourselves and the champions is nowhere near as big as some had suggested.

There will be plenty to think about for the manager before Wednesday's League Cup tie with Fulham, who drew 2-2 at home to Manchester City this afternoon.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Smalling (Valencia 62), Jones, Evans, Evra (c); Fletcher, Anderson (Carrick 62); Nani Rooney, Young; Hernandez (Berbatov 78).
Unused subs Lindegaard, Fabio Da Silva, Park, Giggs.
Goals Smalling 7, Nani 36, Rooney 44
Booked Valencia 79, Fletcher 84

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires, Meireles (Mikel 78), Lampard (Anelka h-t); Sturridge (Lukaku 67), Torres, Mata.
Unused subs Turnbull, David Luiz, Romeu, Malouda.
Goals Torres 46
Booked Ramires 48, Terry 55, Cole 77

Referee Phil Dowd
Attendance 75,455