After 21 years at the helm, Sir Alex Ferguson probably thought that he had seen it all at Old Trafford. Yet after United defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-0 yesterday, even the Manchester United manager was moved to proclaim that he had never had such a talented pool of players at his disposal.

Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo allowed United to stretch another two points clear of Chelsea, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at Stamford Bridge. At the start of the day, United sat in second place in the Barclays Premier League behind Arsenal, the leaders, only on goals scored but the North London club can regain top spot if they defeat Reading by at least a two-goal margin at the Madejski Stadium tonight.

“I believe that this is the strongest squad I’ve ever had,” Ferguson said. “So much so that I would be pushed to name my overall best team.

“We’ve got young players led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and more in the likes of Carlos Tévez, Nani and Anderson. In fact, it’s difficult to know when to stop when talking about our important players.”

United secured an eighth victory in nine matches in all competitions, the only blip being the 2-2 draw in the league against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium eight days ago.

Chelsea may have stretched their unbeaten record in all competitions to 11 matches but it was at a cost. Leading 1-0 against Everton, and having squandered a number of opportunities, they conceded a goal close to full-time, when Tim Cahill scored with an overhead kick.

Avram Grant, the Chelsea first-team coach, is reported to be on the verge of extending his contract to 2010 in a deal worth £8.25 million. His mood, though, was sombre. “Yes, it was very frustrating,” Grant said, “especially after we had played well and created a lot of chances.

“I thought that we dominated for the 90 minutes and I think our players know that. We want to win every game, but we lost two points today. The title race? There is still a long way to go. We are not even into the last ten games yet.” Cahill was not so much concerned by his goal as the tackle of Michael Essien, the Chelsea midfield player, on Leon Osman, in the 66th minute. Essien went in with his foot raised, caught Osman – who was able to continue after treatment – and was booked by Alan Wiley, the referee.

”I was behind Ossie and I heard the crunch,” Cahill said. “So if he has gone in a bit high, he’ll [Essien] know it and he’ll apologise later. He’s known for a few dodgy tackles. So long as he knows what he’s done.”

Steve Bruce, the Birmingham City manager, questioned the professionalism of Steve Bennett yesterday after the referee failed to award his team two penalties in the 2-1 Midlands derby defeat by Aston Villa at St Andrew’s. “They [referees] are known as professionals these days and they have got to get the big decisions right,” Bruce said. “He’s made two howlers today in a big game.”

Juande Ramos secured his first Premier League victory as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, with a 4-0 stroll against Wigan Athletic at White Hart Lane. Yet almost immediately, he turned his attentions to the vexed question of keeping Dimitar Berbatov, the troubled Bulgaria striker, at the club. “I’m hoping that by the end of the season, he will make a decision to stay,” the Spaniard said.