Porthmouth themselves helped put United out on top with “own-goals” by players: Anthony Vanden Borre and Marc Wilson, while a deflection off Richard Hughes assisted United’s third goal.

United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made a fine save from Anthony Vanden Borre’s quick 13th minute shot, while Jonny Evans cleared Nadir Belhadj’s 28 minute drive off the line.

Portsmouth’s marking was inferior in the 40th minute when Darren Fletcher crossed from the right and Wayne Rooney nipped in between two defenders and goal keeper David James to head home from four yards.

It was Rooney’s 21st league, and 23rd overall goal, of the season and the England star played his part in the second goal in the dying seconds of the first half.

Rooney’s crisp pass found Nani on the left side of the Portsmouth box and his well thought out shot from ten yards was deflected off Vanden Borre into the net, with James also getting a touch before the ball crossed the line at the near post.

Things went from bad to worse for Portsmouth in the 59th minute when Michael Carrick’s 22-yard shot was deflected in off Hughes, with the ball going in off the underside of the bar.

Dimitar Berbatov, who missed a first-half sitter from six yards, showed great skill when he toyed with Tal Ben Haim in the Portsmouth’s penalty area before scoring with a low shot from 15 yards.

Portmouth’s troubles peaked in United’s fifth goal in the 69th minute. Nani headed on Patrice Evra’s cross from the left and Wilson, attempted to clear, hammered the ball into the roof of his own net from six yards.

It was a very exciting game to watch, and a long waited game against Portsmouth. The next game is on Feb. 10th against Aston Villa.

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Nani opened the scoring at Emirates Stadium on 33 minutes when his chip across goal was palmed in by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia. Nani had a brilliant run, and It would be harsh to blame Almunia for that goal – if he hadn’t tried to tip the ball over the bar, Rooney and Park were inching up behind him and one of them would almost certainly have scored with a header from six inches.

Rooney had an excellent goal, starting the move by finding Nani in his own half and then sweeping home the Portugal winger’s cross to make it 2-0 on the board. “Rooney was unbelievable. He was the key player and they couldn’t handle him,” said Ferguson, after the game.

Park chases from his own half into an an almost empty Arsenal half. He controls the ball and keeps going and going until he’s within shooting range, then nicely kicks the ball home from about 10 yards and puts United up 3-0 over Arsenal.

Vermaelen scores from the edge of the penalty area with an acrobatic scissors-kick that takes a deflection off Carrick and past the understandably wrong footed Van der Sar for a goal, putting Arsenal on the board.

United go close to scoring their fourth goal during stoppage time. Valencia ran down the right and squared the ball from Berbatov at the far post. His lead footed first touch took the ball too far away from him, but it broke kindly for Rooney, who shot wide when it seemed easier to score. Very shortly after Chris Foy ends the game with 3 long blows on his whistle.

United’s next game is against Portsmouth on Febuary 6th.

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