The 'Little Tests'.

As Alex Ferguson was quoted saying before the Chelsea game, “I don't care if we loose against Chelsea. It's other games that will decide this title.” Of course, he was lying to the media and would not of liked anything less than a loss at home to Chelsea. However, he has a point.

With the Manchester clubs setting the league's pace, two quintessential battling tests have been placed in-front of the clubs thus far: Bolton away and Fulham away for Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively. These matches are the games where a title is truly earned throughout the course of a season.

A lot of people foresaw a proverbial banana skin at Bolton for Ferguson's men at The Reebok, with Kevin Davies uttering that their game plan was to bombard the young, and understrength, compared to season's past, Manchester United back line. Pre-game, the whole build up was that this could be one of those games where a team can become undone thanks to a dogged performance. 5 goals later, and all talk of an up-set was diminished.

Manchester City played Fulham this weekend, at Craven Cottage. After getting a comprehensive 2-0 lead over The Cottagers, they let it slip and gifted Fulham a draw from a position of no return. City's two goals were a declaration of their adaptability. The first a wonderfully intricate move, the second a long ball, knock-down, fine finish maneuver. That's the first 'little test' that Manchester City have failed in. Turning games of domination, consistently, into three points. Fulham's second half performance was fully deserving off the point, too.

The 'Big Tests'.

The match of the season so far, Manchester United vs Chelsea at Old Trafford, was as intriguing as it was a spectacle of the English game: pace, passion, mistakes. The most intriguing dilemma proposed from the match was the fact that, although losing the game, Chelsea really announced themselves as title contenders themselves at Old Trafford.

With two goals being, simply, offside. (Smalling, Nani.) And the fact that Chelsea created 21 openings against United at their home, some of them guilt-edge one on ones, and the sublime football that brought about Ramirez's two misses, Chelsea could have been considered the better side, only that was shrouded by Man United's ruthlessness in-front of goal. 3 chances, 3 goals in the first half – and sometimes that's all it takes when you're competing at the top of the game. United hit the post, missed a penalty and had one cleared off the line, but Chelsea had opportunities spurned in an almost frivolous manner.

Torres doing the classic look at the turf when you've missed routine.

It was a match depicting a battle of two Spaniards. A befitting sub-plot to two much maligned characters since the start of this campaign. Torres, once the darling of the Premier League, against his young, potential-filled international goal-keeping counterpart, David Da Gea. Torres was mesmerizing at times, but constantly, De Gea stepped up, announcing himself as a true, top class goalkeeper. The football that Chelsea played to open the second half, culminating in Torres' delightful, instinctive finish at the near post, denoted true class and underlined a team who might be a surprise, particularly in the shadow of the Manchester teams.

In creating chances, Torres' performance was at an optimum, finishing of those were poor. The final chance, where he ran off the shoulder of Evans, dummied past De Gea and shot wide was the epitome of his form. Class build up, woeful finish. His shot wasn't even close, either. It was well wide. A Torres of old would have got something out of the match for Chelsea, simple as that.

Black Country Prophet Says: No side will win the Premier League with Joleon Lescott at Centre Back. Mark my words.