Fulham 2-0 Manchester United

Manchester United's title bid was dealt a huge blow after his side succumbed 2-0 to Roy Hodgson's Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

United have all the more reason for concern as Alex Ferguson watched both Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney receive red cards for trivial offences. Scholes, finding himself in the unenviable position of protecting his face with his hands from a point blank but goal-bound header and Rooney inexplicably throwing the ball in the direction of the referee after a quick free-kick was called back to be taken again.

Yet, there was more. Not content with his red, Rooney proceeded to storm off the pitch and punch a corner flag. It was the epitome of United's performance all day. Finding themselves a goal down thanks to Danny Murphy's penalty, petulance and tantrums crept into the players' games, with Ronaldo the biggest culprit.

The Portuguese tumbler is, in my eyes, the best player in the world, but his constant play-acting and lack of respect for officials is taking away from all the good he has done. He should have been sent off earlier in the season for kicks at Michael Dawson and Andy Wilkinson and was very lucky he didn't connect with what would have been a disgraceful tackle on Danny Murphy on Saturday. It cannot be long before an official stands up to Ronaldo and dismisses him for his actions, maybe then he will learn his lesson.

Credit must go to Fulham for the way they stayed focused on the job at hand and not on their opponents. Zoltan Gera added to United's misery with Fulham's second with an excellent finish and, in the process, secured Fulham's first home victory over Manchester United in 45 years.

The loss, and Liverpool's thrashing of Aston Villa on Sunday, means United's lead at the top of the table has now been cut to just one point, though they still have a game in hand on their rivals.

For Fulham, the victory caps what has been a fantastic season for the West London team. Roy Hodgson has steered them away from relegation since his appointment at the tail-end of last season and has got them now well in the hunt for a spot in next season's Europa League. Credit must go to the former Finland boss who has transformed the club's fortunes in such a short space of time.