Manchester United 5-0 Portsmouth
Rooney set United on his way to victory with his 23rd goal of the season
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Saturday, 06, Feb 2010 04:44
By Matt Hallam.
Manchester United moved to the top of the Premier League as they romped to victory over a woeful Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
The struggling south-coast club never looked like troubling the champions and were put to the sword by Sir Alex Ferguson's side as they looked to move a point clear of Chelsea.
United dominated the opening stages but failed to make their superiority count with Johnny Evans heading their best chance wide.
Dimitar Berbatov should have put the home side into the lead after good link up play from Antonio Valencia and Gary Neville. However, the Bulgarian international shot wide from six yards out.
Rooney made no mistake soon after though, heading Darren Fletcher's cross from the right past David James, to claim his 23rd goal of the season.
Nani then forced a second for United before half-time when he attempted to put a cross into the box from the left which deflected off Anthony vanden Borre and trickled past James as he dived in the opposite direction.
Michael Carrick claimed United's third, hitting a fine shot from 25 yards which went in off the underside of the bar, before Berbatov made it 4-0 with a shot from outside the area that found the bottom corner.
Marc Wilson then scored Portsmouth's second own-goal of the game, firing an attempted clearance into the top corner to give United a comfortable win and round off a miserable afternoon for Avram Grant's side.
Meanwhile Stoke continued their unbeaten start to 2010 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Blackburn.
Danny Higginbotham put Stoke into an early first-half lead, rifling a left footed volley past Paul Robinson after Blackburn had failed to clear a corner.
Mamady Sidibe then doubled Stoke's lead on the stroke of half-time, meeting Matthew Etherington's cross from the left at the back post.
Stoke continued to control the game in the second-half and when Chris Samba was sent-off for a second bookable offence after pulling down Ricardo Fuller, Blackburn's chances of getting anything from the game were dealt a severe blow.
And Stoke took full advantage with Etherington exchanging passes with Liam Lawrence before curling the ball past Robinson to make it 3-0 and secure three points for the Potters.
Sunderland came from behind to secure a vital point against Wigan at the Stadium of Light.
Wigan took the lead after 20 minutes when Mohamed Diame picked up a loose Sunderland pass before smashing a shot goalwards from the edge of the box which beat Craig Gordon at his near post.
Sunderland equalised in the second-half through Kenwyne Jones who rose highest to meet Jordan Henderson's cross from the right and nod the ball into the net.
Darren Bent then went close to grabbing a late winner but saw his shot deflect wide off strike partner Jones.
Wigan held on to secure a vital point though, whilst Sunderland continued its struggle with no wins in their last 11 games.