Happy Hallowayne! First half masterclass enough for United as Rooney gets a goal at each end and an assist in 3-1 win at Fulham.
United travelled to South-West London on the back of a six game unbeaten run and hoping to achieve their fourth straight win in all competitions. Fulham, on the other hand, were coming in off the back of a loss to Championship side Leicester City in the Capital One Cup and were hoping to get back to winning ways to ensure United were not the victors for a sixth consecutive Premier League match against the Cottagers.
United fielded a strong team with Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans in central defence. Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones were chosen in central midfield with Adnan Januzaj and Antonio Valencia providing the wide support. Fulham gave starts to two ex-United players in Kieran Richardson and Dimitar Berbatov.
It was a bright opening five minutes for the home side as they created the game's first chance through Kasami. He got the ball off Ruiz on the left and cut inside to shoot but his drive was straight at De Gea and easily saved by the Spaniard. However, their lack of cutting edge was punished and United soon began to take control of the game. The away side went 1-0 up inside 10 minutes after Van Persie threaded a neat through ball to Rooney inside the box. Rooney waited and drew Stekelenburg out from his goal before he picked out the perfect square pass for Valencia to side foot it home near the far post.
United passed Fulham around easily after the goal and they were left chasing shadows as Rooney played some lovely one-twos with Januzaj and Van Persie. The home side's only decent chance came on 19 minutes as Scott Parker's wonderful through ball cut through United's back four and found Berbatov. He was unable to convert as Rafael got back to dispossess the ex-United striker before he could get his shot away.
Fulham were left to rue that chance as seconds later United went down the field and got their second goal. Januzaj took the ball off Parker just inside the Fulham half, the former West Ham midfielder felt it was a foul but replays suggested the Englishman slipped. Januzaj then sent a wonderful pass out left to Van Persie in the box who smashed it into the roof of the net with a fantastic finish. Fulham looked all over the place and United capitalised as they struck again two minutes later after more brilliance from Van Persie, who is now the Premier League's highest scoring Dutchman. Cleverley sent a lovely long ball through to the striker, who beat the offside trap and waited out on the right before picking out Rooney in the box who finished off a tantalising opening 22 minutes for United with an easy tap-in.
Fulham were as hopeless as United were brilliant and it seemed that the away side were destined to score even more. However, the game settled down and Fulham regained some composure to set up another chance for Berbatov. Ruiz' flick on allowed the Bulgarian half a yard on Vidic which he used to get a shot away but it was a weak hit and was easily held by De Gea.
United went into half time 3-0 up and David Moyes looked delighted at their clinical finishing. However, the manager was forced to make an unusual triple substitution at half time. With one eye on their European clash away at Real Sociedad on Tuesday he took off Rafael, Cleverley and Evans, who all looked like they may have picked up slight knocks. Their replacements were Kagawa, Fellaini and Smalling and these changes disrupted some of Manchester United's momentum which allowed Fulham a chance to get more of a foothold in the game. Inside the opening two minutes of the second half Kagawa gave away possession in the centre of the field to Richardson who set up Kasami for a shot from range. He hit it well but just couldn't keep it on target and it whistled past De Gea's left-hand post.
Fellaini then had a chance for United but his header from a Rooney free kick was also wide. Fulham then went up the other end and finally scored but even they needed help from Rooney and it was a touch off the United forward's outstretched right leg that diverted Kacaniklic's shot on target and past De Gea. It was good pressure from Fulham and United never looked like the same side that scored three goals in 13 minutes in the first half, but the away team still looked comfortable and likely to hold onto their 3-1 lead.
However, it didn't stop Fulham having a go at reducing the deficit and they almost got a second late on through substitute Bent. It was a lovely move from Fulham that started off with a dangerous cross in from Richardson. Berbatov eventually picked up the ball in the box and lofted it in for Bent just outside the six-yard box who sent his headed effort against the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Richardson then had a great chance in the 89th minute with a header himself after Kacaniklic put in a good cross but he could only head wide against his former club.
The end of the game was marred by some ugly scenes in injury time as Riether stamped on Januzaj prompting a fracas between both sets of players. The Fulham man was lucky the referee missed it as it would have been a definite sending off and could have condemned the Cottagers to an even more miserable afternoon. Overall, they improved in the second half as United took their foot off the gas but it was a job well done by the away side who will take great confidence from their finishing abilities and in particular that powerful opening 22 minutes where they tore Fulham apart. It sets up an interesting clash at Old Trafford next Sunday against League leaders Arsenal.
It was a bright opening five minutes for the home side as they created the game's first chance through Kasami. He got the ball off Ruiz on the left and cut inside to shoot but his drive was straight at De Gea and easily saved by the Spaniard. However, their lack of cutting edge was punished and United soon began to take control of the game. The away side went 1-0 up inside 10 minutes after Van Persie threaded a neat through ball to Rooney inside the box. Rooney waited and drew Stekelenburg out from his goal before he picked out the perfect square pass for Valencia to side foot it home near the far post.
United passed Fulham around easily after the goal and they were left chasing shadows as Rooney played some lovely one-twos with Januzaj and Van Persie. The home side's only decent chance came on 19 minutes as Scott Parker's wonderful through ball cut through United's back four and found Berbatov. He was unable to convert as Rafael got back to dispossess the ex-United striker before he could get his shot away.
Fulham were left to rue that chance as seconds later United went down the field and got their second goal. Januzaj took the ball off Parker just inside the Fulham half, the former West Ham midfielder felt it was a foul but replays suggested the Englishman slipped. Januzaj then sent a wonderful pass out left to Van Persie in the box who smashed it into the roof of the net with a fantastic finish. Fulham looked all over the place and United capitalised as they struck again two minutes later after more brilliance from Van Persie, who is now the Premier League's highest scoring Dutchman. Cleverley sent a lovely long ball through to the striker, who beat the offside trap and waited out on the right before picking out Rooney in the box who finished off a tantalising opening 22 minutes for United with an easy tap-in.
Fulham were as hopeless as United were brilliant and it seemed that the away side were destined to score even more. However, the game settled down and Fulham regained some composure to set up another chance for Berbatov. Ruiz' flick on allowed the Bulgarian half a yard on Vidic which he used to get a shot away but it was a weak hit and was easily held by De Gea.
United went into half time 3-0 up and David Moyes looked delighted at their clinical finishing. However, the manager was forced to make an unusual triple substitution at half time. With one eye on their European clash away at Real Sociedad on Tuesday he took off Rafael, Cleverley and Evans, who all looked like they may have picked up slight knocks. Their replacements were Kagawa, Fellaini and Smalling and these changes disrupted some of Manchester United's momentum which allowed Fulham a chance to get more of a foothold in the game. Inside the opening two minutes of the second half Kagawa gave away possession in the centre of the field to Richardson who set up Kasami for a shot from range. He hit it well but just couldn't keep it on target and it whistled past De Gea's left-hand post.
Fellaini then had a chance for United but his header from a Rooney free kick was also wide. Fulham then went up the other end and finally scored but even they needed help from Rooney and it was a touch off the United forward's outstretched right leg that diverted Kacaniklic's shot on target and past De Gea. It was good pressure from Fulham and United never looked like the same side that scored three goals in 13 minutes in the first half, but the away team still looked comfortable and likely to hold onto their 3-1 lead.
However, it didn't stop Fulham having a go at reducing the deficit and they almost got a second late on through substitute Bent. It was a lovely move from Fulham that started off with a dangerous cross in from Richardson. Berbatov eventually picked up the ball in the box and lofted it in for Bent just outside the six-yard box who sent his headed effort against the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Richardson then had a great chance in the 89th minute with a header himself after Kacaniklic put in a good cross but he could only head wide against his former club.
The end of the game was marred by some ugly scenes in injury time as Riether stamped on Januzaj prompting a fracas between both sets of players. The Fulham man was lucky the referee missed it as it would have been a definite sending off and could have condemned the Cottagers to an even more miserable afternoon. Overall, they improved in the second half as United took their foot off the gas but it was a job well done by the away side who will take great confidence from their finishing abilities and in particular that powerful opening 22 minutes where they tore Fulham apart. It sets up an interesting clash at Old Trafford next Sunday against League leaders Arsenal.
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