Gibson nets again for United

West Ham 0 Manchester United 4

Darron Gibson continued his scoring run with a fantastic strike for Manchester United today as the champions humbled West Ham at Upton Park today.

Further goals from Paul Scholes, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney made it comfortable for the visitors after the break.

Ferguson had sent out a makeshift defence to start with, after seeing Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans all sidelined through injury. Midfielder Darren Fletcher filled in at right-back with Gary Neville and Wes Brown in the middle.

Yet after half an hour Neville pulled up, clutching the right side of his groin.

It brought the biggest cheer of the afternoon from an unsympathetic home crowd, saw an angry remonstration between Neville and his dugout as they pondered a substitution, and led to a reshuffle which saw midfielder Michael Carrick come on to shore up the centre of midfield.

Carrick and Fletcher played as if they had defended all their lives in a match which was long on midfield industry and short on goalmouth thrills until Manchester took total control in the second half.

With Chelsea threatening to open an unbridgeable gap at the top of the Premier League before Christmas, this was a must-win match.

But if Scholes caught the eye with that screamer which goalkeeper Robert Green got his hand to but could only divert into the net, then United owed this victory as much to Ryan Giggs.

His surge deep at the heart of the West Ham defence on the hour mark was a perfect example, skipping past defenders and releasing his pass perfectly into the stride of Gibson who powered a brilliant strike past goalkeeper Green to extend United’s lead.

Tomasz Kuszczak had to make a superb save a few minutes later when Alessandro Diamanti curled a free-kick which appeared bound for the top corner.

But after that it was all United. A bright run from Anderson produced a cross which gave Valencia an easy tap-in after 71 minutes.

More good work from Scholes a minute later sent Valencia away and his pinpoint cross was steered home by Rooney for the fourth.

It was a trifle harsh on West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola, whose philosophy apparently remains attack at all cost

Ferguson even saw Brown limp off at the end, with Giggs finishing the game at left-back and Carrick and Evra in the centre of defence.

The victory kept them in touch with Chelsea - for West Ham the relegation fight goes on.