Premier League leaders Manchester United stretched their lead to five points after disposing of Fulham at the Theatre of Dreams. Goals from Scholes, Berbatov and Rooney made the scoreline read 3-0 in favor of the home team.
Sir Alex had used his usual starting eleven in the team, whereas I thought he would use some youngsters. But then the experience began to show as United dominated the game right from the start. Paul Scholes superb 25 yard volley was saved by Cottagers goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, only to see it spin back into the net. That was it. The opening goal in the 12th minute provided the perfect launch pad for United as they kept looking for another goal. An imperious passing move consisting of 20-30 passes from the home side allowed Dimitar Berbatov to slot in a second when the clock read 30 minutes. Carrick, Berbatov and Ronaldo kept on attacking but could not find the net.
Wonder kid Wayne Rooney came off the bench to tap in Ji-Sung Park's cross at the far post and round off a one-sided victory. United made full use of their game in hand over their title rivals, with Liverpool 5 points adrift of them, Aston Villa eight and Chelsea 10 points. Another impressive feat was United maintained their 14 consecutive clean sheet in the league.
... will be the question that Sir Alex would be dealing with.
Manchester United will be looking to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points when they play Fulham today. United brushed aside Derby during the last weekend to march ahead in the FA Cup. And now they look all set to play Fulham to further strengthen their hold on the title.
The only problem that Sir Alex will be facing is that of selecting the team. Wonder kid Wayne Rooney looks set to return for the Red Devils after a seven-match absence. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Carlos Tevez, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov are among the big names who could return to the starting eleven. Also, it would be difficult to choose between Giggs and Nani on the left wing as both of them are in great form. Nani scored against Derby and Giggs has been incredible since signing an extension to his contract with The Red Devils. Youngsters Rafael and Welback and of course Gibson will also be fighting to get in the first team.
Liverpool could not stay on top for too long after thrashing Pompey 3-2 as Manchester United captured their deserved position. A sublime Ryan Giggs goal saw them overcome West Ham and moved back to the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand.
This fixture has been one of the most difficult games for United in terms of fan outrage. I have never figured out why West Ham fans always boo Manchester United at Upton Park. Their hatred towards the Red Devils is even more as compared to what they have for their local rivals Arsenal and Spurs. But even is such a difficult situation, United dominated the game and got the 3 points. What was more fulfilling was that van Der Sar extended his clean sheet run to 13 games.
The Hammers gave United a stern test in the first half but then they never threatened. Man United were not at their free-flowing best as Zola's men were marking every player very well. But eventually, Giggs cut in from the left and curled in a shot to provide the moment of magic needed for the win. When I saw Giggs scoring the goal, I could not believe that Giggs is a veteran. His trickery and run brought back the memories when he was a boy in United's youth academy. Fabulous.
The result ended West Ham's run of six league games without a defeat and, despite their good play, they just could not find a way through United's defence. One thing I could clearly see was how Zola had made sure that Carlos Tevez was being well-marshalled. A great week for United as many of their players are returning from injuries and trying to achieve the quadruple.
Labels: manchester United, ryan giggs, West Ham
