Paul Scholes produced a majestic performance as Manchester United moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 3-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford.
United veteran Scholes rolled back the years with a virtuoso display as he opened the scoring before Dimitar Berbatov and the returning Wayne Rooney sealed a ninth straight victory in the League.
A dip into the archives brought about United's opening goal on 12 minutes as Michael Carrick played out a corner to Scholes, who struck a trademark volley from 25 yards which Mark Schwarzer saved only for the ball to spin back across the Fulham keeper and over the line.
Bobby Zamora headed Fulham's only chance of the half wide before Aaron Hughes cleared Berbatov's effort off the line after Schwarzer had dropped Cristiano Ronaldo's cross.
Carlos Tevez had a goal chalked off for offside following Berbatov's pass, but the Bulgarian then made it 2-0 on the half-hour mark as he tapped in from close range after Schwarzer dithered when John O'Shea turned Scholes' dinked pass back across goal.
Berbatov should have increased the lead further when poking another shot wide before he had a header from Ronaldo's free-kick ruled out for offside.
The fit-again Rooney was introduced for Berbatov on the hour mark and within minutes he had scored the third, slotting home at the far post from Park Ji-sung's shot-cum-cross.
Zamora flicked a chance wide, and Fulham had two penalty shouts turned down as the visitors failed to test Edwin van der Sar, who kept a 14th consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League.
If Van der Sar can keep Blackburn at bay for 89 minutes at Old Trafford on Saturday, he will eclipse the European record of Club Brugge stalwart Dany Verlinden, who went 1,390 without conceding a goal in 1990.
As expected, Rooney was named on the bench after missing seven games with a hamstring injury. However, Ryan Giggs did not even have that consolation as Sunday's man-of-the-match at Derby watched on from the stands.
Highlight:
Man Utd v Fulham
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