After confidently predicting that Manchester United would be almost confirmed as Champions this weekend, the results mean that the title race is far from over.

Arsenal did drop points against Liverpool and their chances do seem to be remote. Chelsea, however, got a fine 2-0 win at Manchester City to close the gap on United to two points prior to their trip to the Riverside on Sunday.

Middlesbrough managed to produce what must have been their best performance of the season to take a point from United and very nearly managed to get all three. In fact, I would guess that Sir Alex Ferguson would regard the 2-2 draw as a point gained rather than two points dropped.

It all started so promisingly for United when Cristiano Ronaldo, (who else?) gave them a tenth minute lead. It seemed at that point to be just a matter of how many goals United would score.

Middlesbrough came storming back and two goals from their expensive Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves gave them a deserved lead just short of the hour. Soon after the second goal Alves and Aliadiere somehow contrived to miss a glaring chance to put them 3-1 up and make the game safe.

United came back strongly in the last twenty minutes and Rooney scored an equaliser after great work from substitute Park. The Champions piled on the pressure after that but couldn't find the winner that would have been desperately hard on Middlesbrough.

Whether or not this was a point gained or two points dropped, the most significant event in the game may prove to be the sight of Rio Ferdinand hobbling off the field in the sixty-ninth minute. The extent of his injury will not be known until later today but Fergie will be praying that it is minor damage requiring only a days rest.

The United defence was at sixes and sevens at times yesterday without the excellent Nemanja Vidic and Fergie tried both John O'Shea and Wes Brown alongside Ferdinand. Neither of them looked comfortable. Vidic is likely to miss three further Premiership games and that in itself is a worry for United. If Ferdinand is unavailable for any of those games then I fear for their chances of hanging on to their three point lead.

Prior to yesterday United had conceded just fifteen league goals all season. They conceded two yesterday and it could and probably should have been more. Rooney and Ronaldo have received all the plaudits this season, but we may be about to find out that the Vidic and Ferdinand partnership has been at least equally as important to their success so far.