Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United, league champions old and new, produced a strictly mid-table performance in a goalless showdown that came a month too late.

The game, which should have been one of the highlights of the season, was downgraded to dead rubber status when United secured the title on Sunday by virtue of Chelsea only drawing 1-1 at Arsenal.

It would have been very different if the fixture had been played when originally scheduled for FA Cup semi-final weekend in April, when United were just three points ahead, but with the teams due to meet again in the Cup final on May 19 it became a more of a damage-limitation exercise.

Both managers stuck by the pre-match promises, Mourinho to get his players to form a guard of honour and Ferguson to rest most of United's key players.

With their title battle at an end, a rough estimate suggested only seven Stamford Bridge starters would retain their places for the next meeting later this month.

Indeed, only six of the Red Devils John Terry applauded onto the pitch are eligible for championship medals.

Ferguson handed China international Dong Fangzhou his debut, a first chance to show if the promise which persuaded United to sign him can translate onto the highest stage.

The signs were not encouraging as Dong showed a distinct lack of killer instinct as he failed to react to a low cross Chris Eagles rolled along the six-yard area.

Eagles was soon involved in the most contentious incident of the opening period when he was brutally hacked down by Mikel John Obi.

The Nigerian had already received a frosty reception from the travelling United contingent for turning the Old Trafford outfit down in acrimonious circumstances after being pictured wearing a United shirt.

The move cost Mikel a year out of his career but he was soon showing why Ferguson was so interested in him, providing Shaun Wright-Phillips with an opportunity which should have brought greater reward than a firm shot drilled straight at Tomasz Kuszczak.

Mikel was clearly eager to prove he was capable of being just as physical but his lunge on Eagles brought an instant yellow card from Graham Poll, plus the arrival of a United posse, including a furious Ferguson, as well as stand-in skipper Gabriel Heinze, who was promptly booked as well.

Claude Makelele should have done much better when Tomasz Kuszczak dropped Wright-Phillips' cross into his path.

After such a dismal start to his Chelsea career, Wright-Phillips now appears to be finding some form and he skimmed the United goal with a cross-shot which had Kuszczak scrambling backwards.

The introduction of Joe Cole for Mikel seemed designed to save the African from further controversy. But United were quickly onto Cole's case too and Lee was booked for a late tackle on the England star which proved the prelude to a run of five cautions in the opening 12 minutes of the second period.

Eagles was the worst offender, flying in on Wright-Phillips by the corner flag, a move which could easily have triggered a dismissal had Graham Poll not been in lenient mood.

Mind you, considering Eagles had just been sent sprawling in the box by Michael Essien yet failed to win a penalty, the young midfielder's frustration was understandable.

A couple of clearing headers from Brown kept Chelsea out, then Kuszczak denied both Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou.

The arrival of Wayne Rooney 15 minutes from time was destined to prompt a bit more fire into proceedings, although not in the way it might have been imagined as Mourinho dived out of his dugout to remonstrate with Poll after Makelele fouled the United man.

For a moment, it appeared the pointed exchange had resulted in Chelsea's coach being banished to the stands, only for fourth official Mark Clattenburg to call him back after a longer chat with Mourinho's assistant Steve Clarke.

Diarra tested Kuszczak's agility with a curling shot nine minutes from time.

The Polish goalkeeper was equal to that effort but a couple of unnecessary handling errors forced Richardson into two hurried clearances and in the final minute United were thankful to Lee, who booted Ben Sahar's shot off the line.