Spurs stick it to Saints
LONDON: Wayne Rooney scored twice, the first an astonishing 58-metre volleyed contender for Goal of the Season, as Manchester United won their second game in four days by brushing aside West Ham United 2-0 at Upton Park late on Saturday.
The two goals moved Rooney above Jack Rowley into third place on United’s all-time scoring chart with 212 behind Bobby Charlton (249) and Denis Law (237).
The England forward struck his astonishing first goal in the seventh minute from just inside West Ham’s half after winning a battle for a loose ball with central defender James Tomkins.
Rooney, skippering the side, glanced up and saw Spanish goalkeeper Adrian off his line before blasting his shot high into the air and watching it bounce before landing in the net.
United were the better team from the start and never looked back once Rooney opened the scoring.
He doubled the lead after 33 minutes when he ran the length of the pitch in a United counter-attack.
As the ball broke out wide to Ashley Young on the right, Rooney continued his advance into the box and was in the perfect place to steer home Mark Noble’s poor clearance first time.
In the two fixtures on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur beat Southampton 3-2 when Christian Eriksen scored twice before substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson’s stoppage-time goal saw Spurs come from 2-0 down to win.
England duo Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana had earlier put the Saints into the lead.
Aston Villa then lost at home to Stoke and the hosts copped five yellow cards on their way to a 4-1 defeat.
Villa began brightly with Christian Benteke giving them the lead, but the match was transformed with two quick goals by Stoke’s Peter Odemwingie and Peter Crouch. Steven Nzonzi made it 3-1 before the break with Geoff Cameron grabbing a fourth goal in the 90th minute. (AFP)