For the seventh straight time, Manchester United cruised to a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford, which extends their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League standings.
Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia scored both goals in the first half for the Reds, which were both created by the close control of Nani.
Berbatov brought his goal scoring total in the Premier League to 21 goals, and Valencia scored his first his goal since coming back from injury, but was it enough for either of them to earn Man of the Match honors for United?
Tomasz Kuszczak – 7
Made a shocking statement that he wants to leave Old Trafford ahead of the match, but Kuszczak stayed focused on the task at hand to keep a clean sheet.
John O’Shea – 6
His first game back since injuring his hamstring against Olympique de Marseille, O’Shea did well to add experience and height to the back-four.
Chris Smalling – 7
A potent threat against his former employers on corners, Smalling also did well on the defensive end to help United post back-to-back shutouts.
Nemanja Vidic – 6
Given the task of handling Bobby Zamora, Vidic handled that job very well and kept the fit-again forward silent for most of the match.
Patrice Evra – 7
After struggling a little bit in the last couple of games, Evra teamed up well with Nani down the left flank and handled all of the questions that were asked of him defensively.
Antonio Valencia – 8
Scored his first goal since his comeback, and Valencia is proving that he will be a constant fixture down the right flank with his pace and power.
Paul Scholes – 7
Brought in to provide experience behind his fellow central midfielders, Scholes turned in an accomplished performance against the Cottagers.
Anderson – 6
Showed energy and enthusiasm throughout the match, but Anderson’s work rate was not matched by his passing and shooting.
Darron Gibson – 7
Always being told that he is not United quality, Gibson showed glimpses of that quality with precise passing that led to numerous breaks for the Reds.
Nani – 8 (Man of the Match)
With Valencia now occupying down the right flank, Nani was forced to the left, but he showed that it does not matter which wing he has to operate down, because he was very influential against Fulham.
Dimitar Berbatov – 7
Handed his first start since Liverpool, Berbatov opened the scoring for United to take his Premier League goal total to an impressive 21 goals on the season.
Substitutions
Michael Owen – 5
Unlucky not to get the start, Owen came on with 17 minutes left to play, but was unable to get a sniff at goal and get his name on the score sheet.
Fabio – 6
Brought on to balance out the formation, Fabio was given a free role to inject his enthusiasm, which he did a couple of times.
Michael Carrick – 5
Brought on to add more composure and steel to the United midfield for the closing moments, Carrick did well to halt anything Fulham threw at him.
Overall – 7
Attacking-wise, the first half was a mesmerizing display for Manchester United, but after halftime they put it in cruise control and were able to get all three points.
Submitted by The United Religion
