Man United maul Arsenal 8-2

Manchester United swept to a magnificent 8-2 victory over 10-man Arsenal as the champions produced the perfect response after Manchester City had underlined their title credentials with a 5-1 rout of Tottenham earlier on Sunday.

City had thrown down the gauntlet to United as Edin Dzeko scored four times to destroy Tottenham at White Hart Lane, but Sir Alex Ferguson's team emphasised their determination to hold onto the Premier League crown with a Wayne Rooney hat-trick reducing beleaguered Arsenal to rubble in a sublime display at Old Trafford.

Ferguson once again fielded a youthful line-up and his gifted prodigies rose to the occasion in impressive style to record their third successive win of the season and move ahead of second placed City on goal difference at the top of the table.

"You feel humiliated when you concede eight goals. It was a terrible day for us," Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said.

Manchester United's midfielder Nani (left) scores United's fifth goal of the English Premier League football match between United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester.Manchester United won the game 8-2.

"It was a combination of an under-strength team and weakness. We collapsed physically in the second half."

Ferguson added: "It is (a surprise) because when you play Arsenal you expect a difficult game.

"If you look at Arsenal the team is weakened but we still did the job."

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring with a close-range header in the 22nd minute after Johan Djourou failed to clear Anderson's chipped pass and Arsenal squandered a chance to level when Robin van Persie's penalty, awarded for a Jonny Evans foul on Theo Walcott, was saved by David De Gea.

Within a minute, Ashley Young had made Arsenal pay with a brilliant curling goal from the edge of the area and Rooney increased the lead when he whipped a 41st minute free-kick past Wojciech Szczesny for his 150th United goal.

Walcott's low drive escaped De Gea's weak attempted save to reduce the deficit on the stroke of half-time, but United scored a fourth through another tremendous Rooney free-kick in the 62nd minute.

Nani's deft chip over Szczesny in the 67th minute made it five and South Korea's Park Ji-Sung drove in United's sixth goal three minutes later.

Van Persie scored from close-range in the 74th minute, but Gunners defender Carl Jenkinson was sent off for two bookings moments later.

United hadn't finished yet and Rooney completed his treble with an 82nd minute penalty before Young curled home in stoppage time.
TT Owonubi