Ronaldo miss costs United

Late headers from Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson turned the game around after Ronaldo squandered the chance to put the champions 2-0 ahead.

The Portuguese winger - so often United's saviour and the scorer of the opening goal - smashed his effort wide and was made to pay the maximum price.

It was West Ham's third consecutive win against the champions and a result that opens up a title race many prematurely declared over after United went top on Boxing Day.

Sir Alex Ferguson had to watch the game from the stands because of a touchline ban, and will have been left fuming as his side's vaunted defence fell apart on 78 and 82 minutes.

West Ham lined up like a side playing for a point, with Carlton Cole on his own in front of a five-man midfield. If their selection was defensive, their start did not reflect it, as they tore into the leaders.

On six minutes, Hayden Mullins beat the offside trap but could only hit the crossbar from close range and Mark Noble sliced the rebound over with the goal gaping.

It was the kind of miss for which United's opponents are routinely punished, and so it was seven minutes later when Louis Saha - starting instead of Wayne Rooney - released Ryan Giggs down the left.

The Welshman crossed towards the edge of the six-yard box, where Ronaldo arrived to head his 17th goal in 16 games.

Cole was twice presented with decent chances that the more clinical Dean Ashton - only a substitute - might have tucked away.

His control let him down when fed from the right and then he headed over when unattended.

Things appeared to be slipping away from West Ham when their two most effective players went off injured early in the second half.

First Nolberto Solano suffered a leg injury, then Scott Parker was withdrawn, adding to Alan Curbishley's lengthy list of invalids.

Visiting striker Carlos Tevez was given an excellent reception by the fans who worshipped him last season when he came off on 65 minutes.

His replacement Anderson was soon in the thick of it, and was the intended recipient of a pass rashly handled by Jonathan Spector - a clear penalty.

The normally reliable Ronaldo produced a rare blunder, powering the spot-kick wide of Robert Green's right-hand post.

Twelve minutes from time Ronaldo was punished for his profligacy when substitute Ferdinand - brother of United's Rio - met a Mark Noble corner and headed past Tomasz Kuszczak.

The Reds side were still reeling when Upson netted the winner, a similar effort although this time from a Noble free-kick.

If Ferguson was looking to stop complacency after his side were declared champions-elect, mission accomplished. The title race has a long way to run.