LONDON: Ashley Young scored twice as Manchester United cruised to a 3-1 victory at Tottenham on Sunday, effectively knocking the hosts out of the Premier League title race while keeping the heat on leader Manchester City.
United surged 11 points ahead of third-place Tottenham to sit two points behind City.
After Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor had a goal ruled out for handball, Wayne Rooney headed United in front at the end of the first half.
Young doubled United’s lead on the hour with a volley from a tight angle and curled a 25-yard (meter) shot beyond goalkeeper Brad Friedel in the 69th minute.
Jermain Defoe pulled one back in the 87th as Tottenham slumped to its second successive setback after losing 5-2 at Arsenal last weekend.
Fulham rout Wolves 5-0
Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak hit a hat-trick, as Fulham piled on the misery for struggling Wolves with a 5-0 victory at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Cottagers boss Martin Jol signed Pogrebnyak on loan from Stuttgart on transfer deadline day to fill the void left by Bobby Zamora’s move to QPR and it has proved an inspired piece of business.
After scoring in his previous two appearances, Pogrebnyak tore into the Wolves defence with two first-half goals and completed his treble after the break.
Clint Dempsey added a second-half double to ensure that Wolves were sent home in utter despair after a run of just one win in 13 league games dropped them into the relegation zone, below Blackburn on goal difference.
Fulham, who surged up to eighth place, were on top from the start and took the lead in controversial circumstances in the 36th minute.
Mousa Dembele worked space for a shot which referee Mike Jones felt had brushed off Wolves defender Richard Stearman on its way wide.
Stearman was unhappy with the decision but Damien Duff whipped in the resulting corner for Pogrebnyak to head home from close range.
Pogrebnyak doubled Fulham’s advantage eight minutes later as the hosts made the most of an awful cross-field pass from Nenad Milijas.
Dempsey chased it down and the ball was worked wide to Andrew Johnson, who teed up Pogrebnyak to fire home. (Agencies)