Vermaelen 80    Almunia (og) 33

                                                                                                        Rooney 37

                                                                                                        Park 52

Manchester United brushed aside Arsenal’s challenge at the Emirates with an impressive display of counter-attacking football, leaving the Gunners title challenge resting on victory at Stamford Bridge next Sunday.

The combination of Wayne Rooney and Nani which saw off Hull the previous weekend was again key, with the young Portuguese winger at last showing the form for which he was bought two-and-a-half years ago.

Andrei Arshavin caused United early problems but Nani broke the deadlock on 33 minutes.

He exquisitely turned two defenders on the right, breezed past a third and floated over an inviting far-post cross which Gunners keeper Manuel Almunia palmed into his own net.

Four minutes later, United doubled their advantage. Rooney swept the ball wide to an advancing Nani, ran from box-to-box to get on the end of the winger’s cross and fired his 100^th EPL goal low past Almunia.

The game was over seven minutes after half-time when Park raced unchallenged from his own half and placed a right-foot shot past Almunia’s right hand.

Thomas Vermaelen’s 80^th-minute deflected strike produced a fraught finale, as William Gallas then missed a simple header. But Rooney should have made it 4-1 late on, which wouldn’t have flattered United.