Spaniard Juan Mata's late strike secured Chelsea a 1-0 victory at Manchester United on Sunday to leave the Londoners poised for a top-four finish and a Champions League place next season.

Eighty-seven minutes into the game, Mata shot with his left foot and took a deflection off United defender Phil Jones and beat keeper Anders Lindegaard.

The goal means another win for Chelsea and three more valuable points in the race for the top four. Chelsea retook third place in the English Premier League on Sunday, on 68 points from 35 games. They are one ahead of Arsenal, who have played a game more, and three ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who have also played 35.

The two teams usually encounter controversy and drama when playing each other. Chelsea had two players sent off-one incorrectly-in a 3-2 league defeat to United at Stamford Bridge in October. Afterward Chelsea accused referee Mark Clattenburg of making a racist remark on the pitch.

Surprisingly, the first 85 minutes of this match were devoid of drama and were uncharacteristically uninteresting. The league's two highest-scoring teams failed to find the net and at times appeared to lack the energy to even try.

Half-chances continued to come at both ends. Lampard and Ba made valiant efforts but couldn't break the defense. Van Persie attempted to score a few times, but his shots were blocked and redirected.

By halftime the teams had combined for 19 chances. Both teams lacked sharpness and neither showed the intensity of their previous matches in the league and FA Cup.

Sunday's game was unimpressive but crucial for Chelsea's race to the top four. If they win again on Wednesday, it would all but wrap up the Champions League qualification for another season.