Dimitar Berbatov claimed his 18th goal and third hat-trick of the season as Manchester United retained first place in the Premier League with a 5-0 battering of Birmingham at Old Trafford on Saturday
Dimitar Berbatov claimed his 18th goal and third hat-trick of the season as Manchester United retained first place in the Premier League with a 5-0 battering of Birmingham at Old Trafford on Saturday.
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| Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov (left) scores his team's second goal through a wall of Birmingham City defenders in their English Premier League clashu00a0 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday. PIC/Getty Images |
Berbatov started the rout inside two minutes after Ryan Giggs curled in a superb cross from the right-hand flag. John O'Shea steered a strong header towards the far corner where the Bulgarian forward headed into the back of the net from a position practically on the goal-line.
The Bulgarian, who would go on and add a hat-trick to his three goals against Liverpool and five against Blackburn earlier in the season, claimed a second goal just after the half-hour when Birmingham defender Roger Johnson carelessly conceded possession just inside his own half.
Anderson collected the errant pass, feeding Wayne Rooney who, in turn, sent Berbatov powering into the penalty area, the forward wrong-footed Johnson andu00a0 drove the ball past former City goalkeeper Ben Foster.
United's third was claimed by Giggs in first-half injury-time. Rooney raced to the right-hand by-line and send over a perfectly-weighted far-post centre which Giggs, arriving at pace, placed first-time into the back of the net.
The first-half performance could hardly have been more emphatic. The second half opened with more of the same. It did not take long for Berbatov to show his team mate how to find the net, completing an impressive hat-trick in the process.
Giggs delivered a pinpoint cross from the left which Berbatov met with and finish into the roof of the Birmingham goal from six yards.
The misery of the visiting players was summed up in the 58th minute when Keith Fahey lost his footing at the far post as he appeared poised to convert Matt Derbyshire's cross-shot.
The relentless United pressure seemed likely to yield more goals and, after failing with a number of efforts from distance, Nani collected O'Shea's 75th minute pass and finished clinically.
