LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Manchester United pull
off a 3-0 Premier League win over Chelsea with goals from Nemanja Vidic, Wayne
Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov on Sunday.
The win put United within a point of second-place
Chelsea with two games in hand, and winning both of those home matches would
allow the defending champions to overtake league leader Liverpool, which was
held to a 0-0 draw at Stoke on Saturday.
 |
|
Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar celebrates following their English Premier League soccer match against Chelsea in Manchester, northern England, Jan¡£ 11, 2009. Manchester United pull off a 3-0
Premier League win over Chelsea with goals from Nemanja
Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov on Sunday.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
Liverpool leads the league with 46 points, four ahead
of Chelsea, which never tested United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar at Old
Trafford.
Vidic scored the opening goal in first-half injury
time only moments after Cristiano Ronaldo had what appeared to be a legitimate
goal disallowed because the referee hadn't given permission for United's
previous corner to be taken.
Vidic's downward header beat Chelsea goalkeeper Petr
Cech at the far post after Berbatov had flicked on a corner from Giggs.
 |
|
Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov (L)
challenges Chelsea's John Terry (C) and Ricardo Carvalho (R) during their
English Premier League soccer match in Manchester, northern England, Jan.
11, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
Rooney scored his 11th goal of the season in the 63rd
minute to make it more comfortable for United. Ronaldo back heeled to Patrice
Evra on the left flank and Rooney volleyed the France defender's cross through
the legs of Ashley Cole beyond Cech.
Berbatov added the final goal in the 87th after he ran past Chelsea defender Franco di Santo to turn Ronaldo's free kick home.