Ruud van Nistelrooy tapped home his 150th Manchester United goal this afternoon to kick the title door wide open.

Left on the bench again for the crucial clash with Bolton, the Dutchman was introduced on the hour mark of a pulsating local derby and promptly scored the goal that not only put his name into the Red Devils' history books but left stumbling Chelsea looking fearfully over their shoulders.

In becoming the eighth United player to hit the landmark, Van Nistelrooy reduced Chelsea's lead at the top to seven points and Jose Mourinho will need no reminding that Sir Alex Ferguson's rampant side have still to visit Stamford Bridge.

How ironic too that Van Nistelrooy's effort - which sealed an eighth straight Premiership win for the Red Devils - should be set up by Louis Saha, the man who has taken the Dutchman's place in Ferguson's first choice line-up.

Saha's speed and strength kept the Trotters at full stretch throughout and the only major disappointment for United must have been that his 14th strike of the season only brought them level.

Despite sustained pressure, Rio Ferdinand and Cristiano Ronaldo both wasted chances, so United only had themselves to blame when Kevin Davies put the hosts in front.

At similar times this season, at Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Blackburn, United have crumbled. Not today.

When Bruno N'Gotty and Joey O'Brien got their wires crossed trying to play offside as United pushed forward, Saha seized Silvestre's pass and beat Jaaskelainen with a brilliant first-time effort.

Van Nistelrooy's introduction after 15 second-half minutes of nothing much proved the catalyst for yet another United win.

The Dutchman had already seen a couple of chances go begging, with Saha wasting an even better one, before his striking rival raced onto John O'Shea's through ball and cut the pass back for Van Nistelrooy to tap home.

The roar from the visitors' end must have felt very chilly as it wrapped itself round Mourinho's neck.