By NEIL CUSTIS
ALEX FERGUSON taunted Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez by predicting an all-Manchester title shootout.
Robin van Persie smashed the fastest Prem goal of the season after just 33 SECONDS to sink West Ham and keep United top.
And Mario Balotelli’s first league goal this term helped City stay in touch with a win at Wigan.
Chelsea lie SEVEN points behind the leaders and six behind City.
United manager Fergie declared: “Tonight’s results have drawn us away from Chelsea a little bit further.
“We’re still ahead in the league but City are on our tails and it’s going to be a long season.
“The importance of winning 1-0 in certain games is that your opponents know the resilience is there.
“If you look at some of the really important 1-0s we’ve had… go back to beating Newcastle when they were nine points clear of us in 1996 — our 1-0 that night won us the league.
“There are important 1-0 victories. We’ve had many of them.”
Meanwhile, City boss Roberto Mancini insisted Balotelli is not for sale after the Italian’s second-half strike was followed by a James Milner screamer to seal the champions’ victory at the DW Stadium.
Super Mario’s future at the Etihad looked bleak earlier this month after he was left out of the squad against Tottenham.
But Mancini said: “No, no, we are not looking to sell Mario. I am very happy for him because he scored his first goal this year and I hope he can improve on this.
“His goal was important because it changed the game for us. After that, everything changed.
“Mario is one of the four top strikers here and it is clear they have had some difficulty to score lots of goals like last year.
“The season is long and we need them.
“We have a lot of games in the next month and everything can change.
“If teams are playing in the Champions League it can change everything.
“Chelsea can still fight for the title and Manchester United are still top — but there is a long way to go.”
