Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to two points on Sunday thanks to a comfortable 3-1 victory at home to champions Manchester United.

Samuel Eto'o scored twice during the first half for the hosts before going on to claim his hat-trick at the start of the second period.

Javier Hernandez pulled a goal back for the away side late on, but it was not enough to stop them from succumbing to a seventh defeat of the season.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams at Stamford Bridge.

Match statistics

Chelsea
Shots: 13
On target: 6
Possession: 44%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 15

Man Utd
Shots: 10
On target: 4
Possession: 56%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 21

Was the result fair?

There can be no doubt that Chelsea were worthy winners as they took full advantage of a poor showing from the champions. The hosts started slowly, but they had all but won the match come the half-time whistle.

Chelsea's performance

Jose Mourinho's team played below the lofty standards that they have set for themselves this season, but they did enough to come away with the points against a lacklustre United. The home side showed more energy, enthusiasm and ruthlessness going forward, and that was ultimately the difference. It looked like they were in for a game after getting off to a sluggish opening, although those fears were swiftly abandoned as the Blues took control and kept their opponents at arm's length with a composed display across all areas of the pitch.

Man Utd's performance

The champions put in a woeful 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge as their rocky season took yet another nosedive. They were a shambles tactically as a lack of organisation and leadership saw them struggle against a well-drilled Chelsea. David Moyes's men repeatedly looked overwhelmed in defence, while it was left to Adnan Januzaj again to provide them with a creative spark as others retreated into their shells. It would be easy to highlight the absences of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, but this was a real stinker of a match for United.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Samuel Eto'o: It is hard to look beyond the veteran Chelsea striker as his clever-thinking and awareness in and around the penalty area saw him rewarded with three goals.

Biggest gaffe

Phil Jones will be disappointed with himself after allowing Samuel Eto'o time and space in the build-up to Chelsea's first goal. The United youngster should have closed down the striker quicker, but Eto'o instead saw his shot find the net following a deflection off Michael Carrick.

Referee performance

Phil Dowd blew up for minor fouls once too often during an average afternoon for the official. His penalising of both sets of players frequently turned the game into a stop-start affair. Dowd's decision to send off Nemanja Vidic was also questionable as the United skipper should probably have been booked for chopping down Eden Hazard.

What next?

Chelsea: The Blues return to Premier League action on January 29 as struggling West Ham United travel to Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd: The Red Devils will look to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit on Wednesday when they entertain Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals.