Ruud has treble blast at Gunners

OLD TRAFFORD goal-king Ruud van Nistelrooy bagged the hat-trick which swept Manchester United to the Premiership summit for the first time in 12 months - and then followed his manager’s lead by wading into Arsenal.

Van Nistelrooy responded to Alex Ferguson's decision to push Ole Gunnar Solskjaer into a conventional two-man strikeforce by bagging the third three-timer of his Red Devils career and take his seasonal tally to 32.

The brilliant solo second which split a first-half penalty and a late deflected tap-in ranks among the 26-year-old's career highlights so far. But the £18.5million front man does not believe his efforts increased the heat on Arsenal because van Nistelrooy feels the Gunners have brought more than enough pressure on themselves.

"If you say you are going to win the Treble, or you are not going to lose a game all season nobody else has to put pressure on them," he said.

"We certainly don't have to. We realise we have the toughest programme but if we are at our best we can do it."

When Ferguson's squad re-assemble after the international break they face a glittering fixture list packed with huge matches which will shape their season. Interspersed with their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid is a home clash with Liverpool, followed by visits to fellow title contenders Newcastle and

Arsenal.

Yet after erasing what was an eight-point lead at the beginning of the month, the force appears to be with United and as Ferguson admitted the pressure of being leaders can be difficult to control when the challengers start to close.

"We experienced it ourselves a few years ago, and it does get to you a bit - particularly when there is a team running up behind you playing well, which is what we are starting to do now."

Ferguson has reason to be even more confident after confirming captain Roy Keane is almost back to full fitness after his recent hamstring injury - although Wes Brown and John O'Shea both picked up knocks which could prevent them linking up for international duty with England and the Republic of Ireland this week.

United fans will also be offering a silent prayer no harm comes to van Nistelrooy in the next fortnight. He has scored an incredible 68 goals in less than two full seasons. But none has been bettered by his second on Saturday which began with a controversial brush-off of Sylvain Legwinski and was followed by a burst from halfway which took him past five more players before a perfect finish past Taylor.

"It was one of my best," he said. "I just saw some space and kept going. I was pleased to see the shot go in."

His earlier penalty had been his seventh successive spot-kick success and helped ease the tension after a series of missed United chances. When he netted his third with the aid of a deflection after latching on to Ryan Giggs' left-wing cross Fulham were condemned to a sizeable defeat which their earlier good work had not deserved.

Fulham boss Jean Tigana still believes his side are capable of finishing in the top half of the table, even though they have no chance of a European spot.

And as for the title.

"I am caught in the middle," he smiled. "I am French like Arsene Wenger, so I would like Arsenal to win it. But I am also a huge admirer of Alex Ferguson, so I would be equally pleased for United to win it.

" Probably it will come down to the matches they both have to play in the Champions League and the FA Cup and how much that affects them in the league."