Forlan’s finale silences critics

SUPERSUB Diego Forlan is now providing Manchester United with the sweetest of dreams — for Chelsea the South American is a recurring nightmare.

For the first nine months of his Old Trafford career, Forlan was the subject of ridicule and scorn, struggling to adapt, unable to score and lampooned as the 'new' Gary Birtles.

Yet any remaining critics who doubted the wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson snatching the £7million Uruguyan from Middlesbrough's grasp just a year ago have been well and truly silenced.

He had already scored the goals which beat Liverpool and Southampton, plus the late one which stopped Aston Villa recording their first away win of the season.

Vital goals all but practically insignificant alongside the one he smashed past Carlo Cudicini in the third minute of injury time to give Chelsea a sickening taste of deja-vu after his similar effort against them in the Worthington Cup just a month ago.

"When you come on like that and score the winning goal, it is like a dream," he smiled. "It would be nice if I could make a habit of it."

If Forlan can't quite manage it on his own, United's collective can certainly lay claim to producing a sequence of late killer blows even Richard Hillman would be proud of.

And while Forlan delivered the fatal strike, it was yet another resurgent South American who had his fingerprints over the murder weapon, Juan Sebastian Veron providing the brilliant through-ball that set up the chance which Forlan blasted first-time, high into the net beyond a diving Cudicini's grasp.

"I started running as soon as Seba put that great ball into the penalty area," said Forlan.

"I thought my shot was going over but when it hit the net I was really happy."

Chelsea couldn't believe their misfortune, although the writing was on the wall at half-time for Claudio Ranieri's men, who found themselves on level terms at the interval despite dominating almost the entire opening period.

Eidur Gudjohnsen had put the visitors in front with the deftest of flicks over Fabien Barthez's sprawling dive after Emmanuel Petit had delivered the kind of defence-splitting pass Veron was later to repeat.

With Petit and Mario Melchiot outstanding, United were struggling to gain any attacking momentum. Yet salvation arrived within seven minutes when Cudicini made his only mistake of the entire game when he failed to hoof a clearance into touch, instead picking out David Beckham.

The Italian couldn't have chosen a worse man to hand a crossing opportunity to and as he scrambled back into his goalmouth, the England captain whipped over a trademark curling cross which Paul Scholes met with a firm header to put his name on the scoresheet for the fifth successive game.

"It was very cruel to lose so late," admitted Gudjohnsen.

"It just shows how important it is to concentrate for the entire game. We were the better team in the first half. We closed them down well and stopped them from playing.

"It was a shame we couldn't keep our lead until half-time but when you play against opposition like that, you know every mistake will be punished."

The introduction of Ryan Giggs to huge applause from the home supporters gave United an extra impetus after the break and United could point to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer striking the post, Roy Keane missing a glorious chance and excellent Cudicini saves from Forlan and Ruud van Nistelrooy as evidence of their growing dominance.

Even so, Ferguson thought the game was destined for a draw until the dramatic late twist which turned the title race into a familiar duel between United and Arsenal.

"I didn't think the second one was coming but we have done this so many times in the past that we are almost used to it now," beamed Ferguson.

"Diego came on fresh at an important time of the game. When you have that amount of energy and movement, you always have a chance.

"Maybe Chelsea's legs were starting to go and he caught them out."