Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said that he wouldn't mind losing to Chelsea, as long as his side win the league.

Ferguson, who welcomes new Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas to Old Trafford for the first time this weekend, insists that the title will be decided over the course of the season and not by Sunday's top-of-the-table clash.

"The game against Chelsea will be important and so will our game against City in October. But I'd rather lose them both and win every other game and the league," the Scot told reporters.

"At the end of the day all you want to do is win the league. No matter how you get there in terms of who you drop points to or win points from. It's just about getting there – not how you do it.

"It may be that this game against Chelsea could be crucial. But when you look back to last season one of the most significant games was when we lost at Wolves. That defeat got us back on track and started to focus us again on winning."

The Red Devils are currently two points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the league and are yet to drop points this season.