When the watching Jose Mourinho departed Upton Park 10 minutes before full-time yesterday he already knew Manchester United had won, kept their 13th clean sheet in a row and gone back to the top of the Premier League.

Mourinho's Inter Milan have an imminent date with United in the Champions League and by the copious notes he was taking during the match, the special one' will have plenty of ideas on how to disrupt United's almost Teutonic efficiency this season.

Gianfranco Zola, whose vastly improved West Ham team had gone eight matches unbeaten themselves, tried everything he knew to break down the visitors' brick wall but even new England recruit Carlton Cole, watched by Fabio Capello, couldn't end United keeper Edwin van der Sar's English record of shutouts.

In truth, a confident West Ham had matched United in most departments — except in attack. With their excellent midfield axis of Scott Parker, Valon Behrami, Mark Noble and Jack Collison, they neutralised much of United's considerable offensive armoury and one the rare occasions when Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo or Dimitar Berbatov got forward, Zola's back four held firm.

With the diamond shape West Ham now employ though, they mostly lacked the width to trouble United and their intricate passing often foundered on the rock of an impregnable United defence.

“It was a disappointing goal to concede,” said goalkeeper Robert Green who joined up with the England squad today along with teammates Cole and Matthew Upson.

“We've played Arsenal and Manchester United in the last two matches and done OK without troubling either of them too much,” he added.
“It's a step in the right direction though. A few months ago people would have been dreading this game outside the dressing-room but now they will have gone away feeling disappointed we didn't take something from the game.”

For Zola though, there remains no negatives, despite his team's first defeat in nine matches.

“For me it was a positive match,” said the Italian. “I know we lost but I make other considerations apart from the result.

“We were playing against the best team in Europe, if not the world, and we only lost by one goal in a very tight match so I am happy for my team. It's been another step forward for us despite the result.”

West Ham's best half-chances fell mostly to new England recruit Cole but it was the 35-year-old Ryan Giggs who again showed everybody how to finish when he wriggled past a couple of ineffectual West Ham tackles before sending a right-footed shot past Green for the winner.

“I think Ryan Giggs should have stayed in Manchester,” smiled Zola. “It would have been better for me. I have a lot of admiration for him
and although I'm on the opposite side, I enjoy players like him. He is a good advertisement for football.

“When somebody has got such a talent, it's all down to desire. When I was his age I just didn't want to give up, I wanted to get better and better which is why I kept playing for more years.”

Giggs is unlikely to be contemplating hanging up his boots any time soon, not when his 11th Premier League winners' medal is up for grabs