Five things we learned from Manchester United's epic comeback against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

United are never beaten
A familiar story under Sir Alex Ferguson, but rarely has there been a better exhibition of Manchester United�s extraordinary fighting spirit. At 3-0 after 50 minutes, it appeared that they were suffering a pivotal set-back in their season. The subsequent penalties might have been disputed but what could not be questioned was the relish with which United tackled a seemingly lost cause. United's extraordinary mentality and experience remains their greatest single advantage in this Premier League title race.

Manchester City have the Premier League's best defence
It can be safely assumed that Roberto Mancini will have taken considerable encouragement from the defensive performances of both teams. David de Gea made a wonderful late save and could not be wholly blamed for any of the three goals but, starting with a misdirected punch in the seventh minute, he never exuded any air of authority. That lack of confidence spread to his back four. Yet with John Terry absent, Ashley Cole suspended and Gary Cahill making his debut, Chelsea were also predictably suspect defensively in surrendering their three-goal lead.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes remain vital to United
It is difficult to imagine Chelsea conceding a three-goal lead with the experience of Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba running through the spine of their team. Similarly, Manchester United would surely have been unable to complete their comeback without Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes dictating the tempo in the centre of their midfield during the last half an hour. United�s transfer policy has come under severe scrutiny of late but it was the unlikely return of Scholes which may yet prove the wisest January deal.

Daniel Sturridge deserves his England chance
Fabio Capello was at Stamford Bridge and, while he may primarily have been interested to gauge the form of Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young, the contribution of Daniel Sturridge was more eye-catching. He might yearn to replace Fernando Torres as the main central striker but is proving that he could provide a legitimate option at international level to Theo Walcott on the right of a 4-3-3 formation. His run past Patrice Evra forced an own goal from Jonny Evans and he has been significantly more prolific this season than any of his main England rivals.

Football tribalism knows no bounds
A pulsating match was sadly marred by an ugly exchange of chants between the two sets of fans as well as the persistent booing of Rio Ferdinand. Why? Because it is alleged that John Terry, who was not even playing yesterday, racially abused Ferdinand's brother back in October. The instinct of fans to support their own player might be expected but the misguided rationale for some of the abuse that is being routinely meted out on opponents has been among the most troubling trends of this season.