DIDIER DROGBA'S controversial goal put Chelsea in pole position for the Premier League title.

Drogba was a yard offside as he collected Salomon Kalou's throughball before firing past Edwin van der Sar to double Joe Cole's opener.

Manchester United were fuming with the decision and the goal ultimately decided the match after Federico Macheda replied for the home side on 81 minutes.

Cole put Chelsea on their way to three points with an audacious back flick on 20 minutes.

It was just Cole's second goal of an unfulfilling campaign so far. But his moment of magic may yet put him in Carlo Ancelotti's good books and into the thoughts of England manager Fabio Capelo.

David Haye showed off his WBA belt prior to kick-off and United must have been buoyed when they saw Chelsea's own heavyweight, Drogba, named as a sub.

The visitors were the first to feature when Gary Neville tackled the marauding Florent Malouda inside the opening 30 seconds and the ball fell for Deco, who shot wide from 25 yards.

Nemanja Vidic conceded a soft corner after four minutes but Alex could not keep his header on target from Frank Lampard's centre.

Antonio Valencia outmuscled Yuri Zhirkov down the United right on nine minutes and his swinging cross found the head of Dimitar Berbatov, who nodded over.

Vidic then made another error by gifting away possession and allowed Cole to shoot only for the England man to mi%&%* his effort straight at Edwin van der Sar.

On 14 minutes, Patrice Evra surged forward into the Chelsea box and his ambitious drive was easily held by Petr Cech.

But Chelsea got the upper hand on 20 minutes with man-of-the-moment Malouda again the chief tormentor.

The Frenchman picked up a throw wide on the Chelsea left before ghosting past one man, shrugging off Darren Fletcher into the box and picking out Cole, whose cheeky flick outfoxed Van der Sar and nestled in the corner of the net.

United had strong claims for a penalty six minutes later when Ji-Sung Park was caught in the box by Zhirkov but referee Mike Dean was not interested.

Then it was Chelsea's turn to feel hard done by when Gary Neville blatantly barged Nicolas Anelka over in the box without attempting to play the ball, with Dean again waving away the appeals.

Berbatov found space in the United box just before the break but Lampard made a timely tackle as the Bulgarian was setting his sights.

Paulo Ferreira passed up the opportunity to kill off United just two minutes into the second half.

He sprung the offside trap to collect Cole's throughball but was put off by Evra as he shot and could only stab the ball wide of the far post.

Evra was then in action at the other end as he sliced a difficult volley well wide.

United stepped up the intensity as they went in search of an equaliser but Berbatov was always stretching too much as he headed Ryan Giggs' cross inches wide.

Cech flapped at an Evra cross but Valencia failed to find a red shirt as he turned the ball back.

Berbatov had his third try at goal with his head but again wasted the chance as the ball fizzed over.

Ancelotti sent on Drogba to liven things up for Chelsea. And Alex Ferguson responded by throwing on Macheda and Nani.

And it was Drogba who made a crucial impact as he hammered home from inside the box on 79 minutes.

The goal was allowed to stand despite TV replays showing the Ivorian a yard offside.

But just two minutes later, Macheda replied as Cech palmed Nani's cross into the Italian and the ball ricocheted off his arm into the net.

Berbatov had a glorious chance to equalise a minute into injury time but his volley from Neville's pinpoint cross was straight at Van der Sar.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher (Gibson 86), Giggs, Scholes (Nani 72), Park (Macheda 71), Berbatov. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Carrick, Rafael Da Silva, De Laet. Booked: Scholes, Neville, Fletcher. Goals: Macheda 81.

Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Joe Cole (Kalou 73), Deco (Ballack 82), Lampard, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka (Drogba 69). Subs not used: Turnbull, Sturridge, Belletti, Bruma. Booked: Deco. Goals: Joe Cole 20, Drogba 79.

Att: 75,217

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).