Louis Saha stamped a mark of class on Old Trafford tonight as Manchester United maintained their pursuit of Chelsea in the Premiership runners-up race.

The new French international ensured Red Devils minds, that might have drifted towards Champions League action going on elsewhere, stayed fully focussed on domestic combat with a scintillating mixture of power, pace and intelligent play.

Saha not only put United in front, he provided the assist for Gary Neville to bash home a second, a goal remarkable only for the fact that the man who scored it has now got two in a week as opposed to just four in 427 appearances previously.

It was enough frustrate Charlton's hopes of a victory that would have taken them above Saturday's Old Trafford visitors Liverpool and into the coveted fourth spot.

More importantly for the hosts, it closed the gap on Claudio Ranieri's men to a point and ensured they won't officially hand over their Premiership title to Arsenal until the weekend at least.

How different a largely disappointing season might have looked for United had Sir Alex Ferguson made Saha one of his five summer buys rather than waiting until the January transfer window slid open to make his move.

The £12.8million Ferguson paid out to Fulham is already looking like a bargain. Saha may not be in the Thierry Henry class just yet but he has the same explosive speed and, while the style is not quite as sleek, he makes up for it in robustness and, as Neville can testify, he can also provide a decent pass.

In addition, the partnership he forged with van Nistelrooy that yielded seven goals in their first three games together showed little sign of rustiness as they were united in attack for the first time in almost two months.

Having spent most of his time at Old Trafford as a lone front-man, van Nistelrooy clearly relishes having someone alongside him to share the load and, although the Dutchman's astonishing personal goals contribution may have dipped slightly, it's more than made up for by Saha's own impressive strike rate, which now stands at seven goals in 11 games.

The former Newcastle and Metz star would have had a better than 50% chance to bag an opener in the first quarter hour had his first touch been better when van Nistelrooy tried to set him free in the Charlton box.

On that occasion, the Addicks escaped, as they did when Saha played a short free-kick to an unmarked Phil Neville, only for Dean Kiely to make an impressive stop with first Neville, then Saha himself failing to slot home as the ball rocketed around the Charlton box.

There was no reprieve though when one of Ferguson's more raw recruits - David Bellion - latched onto Gary Neville's crossfield pass, sprinted at the Charlton defence, then pushed a pass to Saha which the forward drove first-time under Kiely's body from an acute angle.

Charlton, having travelled north with high hopes of leaping into the coveted fourth spot that both Liverpool and Newcastle are having trouble trying to cement, played some neat stuff without really testing United's rearguard.

Paul Konchesky floated a free-kick just over but it was the 50th minute before Alan Curbishley's men made a significant advance into enemy territory and then it only ended in frustration.

On first viewing, it looked like Gary Neville had clipped Jonathan Johansson as the Finn tried to step inside United's stand-in captain just inside the penalty area.

With a clear view, referee Steve Dunn decided otherwise and, much to Johansson's disgust, brandished the yellow card in his face.

Meanwhile, Saha was still going about his work with eagerness and Ferguson would have been impressed at the calm manner in which the forward not only took Neville's pass, but advanced deep into Charlton territory before delivering a precise return ball which meant the England full-back barely needed to break stride as he rammed it into the net.

It was Saha's final contribution before he made way for Ryan Giggs midway through the second period and, though Roy Keane's belated arrival off the substitutes' bench and efforts from van Nistelrooy and Shaun Bartlett that hit the woodwork offered brief talking points, Saha was the name on home fans' lips as they headed for the exits.

Teams

Man Utd: Howard, Gary Neville, Brown, Silvestre, Phil Neville, Fletcher (Ronaldo 83), Butt (Keane 74), Djemba-Djemba, Bellion, Saha (Giggs 65), van Nistelrooy.

Subs Not Used: Carroll, O'Shea.

Goals: Saha 28, Gary Neville 65.

Charlton: Kiely, Young, Fortune, Powell (Perry 83), Konchesky, Jensen, Stuart (Di Canio 74), Holland, Hreidarsson, Johansson (Euell 63), Bartlett.

Subs Not Used: Royce, Cole.

Booked: Konchesky.

Att: 67,477

Ref: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).