FA Cup Fourth round/ Manchester United 3 Middlesbrough 0: As soon as Manchester United's fans felt comfortable enough with their superiority to burst into song, their choice of verse was telling. "Chelsea," they sang, "what's the score?"
Over at Stamford Bridge, with minds concentrated on the pursuit of every conceivable trophy, it seems unlikely that anyone cared what the score was. At Highbury, however, with United scheduled to visit tomorrow night, they probably did. It says much about Chelsea's dominance of English football that Arsenal have become the forgotten adversaries, just another team to play.
For most of the history of the Premiership, matches between Arsenal and United have been the highlights of the season; suddenly they are remarkable largely because of the players' careless distribution of Italian takeaway food. At tomorrow's game people will talk about pizza as much as points.
It would have taken more than pepperoni to add spice to this match, in which the visitors were outclassed from the opening stages. But a pair of delicious moments from Wayne Rooney ensured it will not easily be forgotten.
The teenager scored two marvellous goals in the second half to seal United's victory and to resurrect thoughts of silverware in a side tarnished by last week's League Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea. First he lobbed a poorly positioned Mark Schwarzer after bursting clear of the defence on to Gary Neville's through ball, then he curled in a fabulous volley from the edge of the area, having been given a fraction of a second to prepare for Louis Saha's knock-on. "It's a club for heroes," the Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren said of United, "and he will be a hero here (Old Trafford). He is already."
"We were pretty down after losing to Chelsea on Wednesday and wanted to pick ourselves up before Tuesday's game," Rooney said. "We got the performance we were looking for and we got the result. Those are two of the best goals I've scored in my career. I'm really pleased with them. This is a big cup for all of us and hopefully we will get a bit further down the road."
Progress in the FA Cup was not the only target Rooney set himself on Saturday. After 11 goals this is now his most prolific season, and his aim to score 20 club goals before it ends will provoke laughter in no one but his own team-mates.
"He makes me laugh when I see him score goals like that," said Rio Ferdinand, United's captain in the absence of the suspended Roy Keane. "I wish I was a forward and could do things like that. You can't teach that kind of ability. To lob the keeper from so far out for the first one was amazing and then for the volley to go in as well, it's just great to see."
Rooney's goals were good enough to all but erase memories of John O'Shea's opener, impressive enough in itself. Afterwards, Alex Ferguson invoked images of one of the greatest goalscorers of all. "You won't get many better goals than those two," he said. "The boy has exceptional talent. The volley reminded me of (Marco) Van Basten but it was a marvellous overall performance from him and it will do him the power of good."
Ferguson's team selection appeared curious, with Phil Neville and Quinton Fortune occupying holding positions in midfield and allowing O'Shea to wander forward, but their performance obliterated any doubts within minutes. Phil Neville, in particular, had an excellent first half, even if his delayed reaction to Ferdinand's pass allowed Boudewijn Zenden to intercept and fashion Middlesbrough's best chance, saved by Roy Carroll.
United's only other fright was also self-inflicted, but after Wes Brown gifted possession to the substitute Joseph Desire Job, Middlesbrough's attack petered out in a flurry of backheels also involving Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. "We have no complaints about the result. United were by far the better side," McClaren added.
United's former assistant manager was spared further criticism by the clamour in praise of Rooney, who now leads United in search of a first league win at Highbury for more than five years. Now that is an outcome that Chelsea would be interested in.
Guardian Service
