Man Utd 3 Fulham 0
A Ruud van Nistelrooy hat-trick sent Manchester United top of the Premiership for the first time this season and piled the pressure on stuttering rivals Arsenal.
The goals - a textbook penalty, a second half contender for goal of the season and a late poached effort - added up to a 3-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford.
The win lifts Alex Ferguson's side to the top of the Premiership for the first time since March 23rd last year, a point above Arsenal, who entertain Everton at Highbury tomorrow.
After putting United ahead with a superbly struck penalty after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was tugged from behind, Van Nistelrooy waltzed through the heart of the Fulham defence to score a stunning second mid-way through the second half.
After shrugging off Sylvain Legwinski just inside his own half, the United forward sprinted clear of three more challenges before side-footing the ball past a helpless Maik Taylor.
Fulham were left protesting that Legwinski had been eliminated with the help of van Nistelrooy's forearm but there was no disputing the quality of his run and finish.
Van Nistelrooy rounded off the fourth hat-trick of his Old Trafford career right at the end after Ryan Giggs ran on to a superb through ball from Paul Scholes. Giggs chipped into the six-yard box and van Nistelrooy was there to finish with a left-foot volley.
Fabien Barthez, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and van Nistelrooy were all restored to the side after being rested for the Champions League match against Deportivo La Coruna in midweek. Wes Brown was also back in the fold after recent hamstring problems.
Van Nistelrooy served notice early on that he was in the mood with a run at Knight and a ferocious shot that Taylor tipped over.
But it was Fulham who might have taken the lead when Steed Malbranque left Solskjaer for dead and laid a pass off to Martin Djetou whose first-time shot ricocheted off Gary Neville on to the bar with Barthez stranded.
That scare seemed to prompt United into action and Fulham were put under sustained pressure as the half-time whistle approached.
Taylor produced a superb stop to keep out a John O'Shea header but the opener followed within two minutes.
Beckham spotted Solskjaer's burst into the box and his pass was perfect for the Norwegian to win the crucial penalty.
Barthez spared the United faithful a tense finale to the match with a superb stop from a Knight header five minutes from the end before Van Nistelrooy rounded off his afternoon in perfect style.
AFP