London, England (My Sportsbook) - It wasn't pretty, but Manchester United maintained its three-point advantage at the top of the Premiership standings with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Blackburn at a rain-soaked Ewood Park on Saturday.
Louis Saha provided the lone tally for United, who picked up their first league win at Blackburn since 1998.
The win was all the more important as Chelsea hammered Watford, 4-0. Didier Drogba scored three times for the Blues, and Andriy Shevchenko netted the other.
The game was not a particularly enjoyable affair for United striker Wayne Rooney, who missed a pair of golden opportunities in the first half that would have put the Red Devils ahead.
Midway through the opening half, Cristiano Ronaldo sent a cross through the face of the goal from the right wing. Rooney was all alone at the far post, staring into a gaping net just six-yards away, but muffed the shot and the ball skidded away.
The enigmatic striker had another chance to get on the board minutes later, when Saha fired a low shot from the top of the box that was stopped by keeper Brad Friedel, but redirected right to Rooney, who had Friedel in a prone position and at his mercy just 12-yards from goal. However, the young Englishman badly misfired and put the ball wide of the net.
The game went to halftime goaless, with United looking the more threatening side.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men finally cracked the scoreboard in the 64th. John O'Shea played a cross to the far post that found a sliding Ryan Giggs, who played it to Saha in front of the net. The Frenchman hit the ball first-time from eight-yards out into the gaping goal to put United up 1-0.
The home side did not provide much of a threat to the United goal, but did produce a late chance in the 86th minute. Benni McCarthy's volley 10-yards from the net skipped awkwardly into Edwin Van der Sar but the keeper pounced on the rebound and kept his clean sheet.
In other EPL action on Saturday, Massimo Maccarone tallied in the 74th minute to give Middlesbrough a 1-0 win over West Ham, Wigan downed Charlton 3-2 in entertaining fashion at the JJB Stadium, Aston Villa dealt Everton its first home defeat of the campaign as Chris Sutton gave the Villains a 1-0 win, Bolton could get only a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United, Portsmouth and Fulham shared the points in a 1-1 draw as Andrew Cole scored for Pompey in the 74th to tie it up and Newcastle and Manchester City played to a dull 0-0 draw.
On Sunday, Arsenal hosts Liverpool in battle of heavyweights at Emirates Stadium and a struggling Reading side tries to turn it around at home against Tottenham.
