Manchester United Vs. Fulham: Hosts Cruise To 2-0 Win

Two first half goals saw Manchester United through at home against Fulham, although the visitors made things interesting for long spells of the match. However, for all of their industry, Mark Hughes' side could never come close to the cutting edge they needed to seriously threaten Tomasz Kuszczak or United's lead, while the hosts had no problem with generating - and converting - straightforward chances.

Dimitar Berbatov got on the scoresheet yet again in the twelfth minute, picking up a loose ball in the box after a combination of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes managed to eventually strip Nani in possession after excellent work by the winger. Berbatov, who was clearly offside, made the most of the opportunity, hammering a shot past a helpless Mark Schwarzer to make it 1-0.

Twenty minutes later and the hosts were up by two, and this time there was no question as to the legality of the goal. Schwarzer's decision-making, however, was thoroughly questionable, and his decision to challenge Nani for Patrice Evra's long punt forward utlimately allowed Antonio Valencia a free header into an empty net.

It was a blow Fulham never looked like recovering from. They pressed forward manfully, with Bobby Zamora particularly impressive, but there were no clear-cut opportunities generated in the United penalty box. Instead, the visitors were opting to shoot for longer and longer out, and although some of their long-range attempts were very good, it simply wasn't enough to get them on the board. Had they managed a goal, United probably had another gear or two to step into, but the hosts were able to keep Fulham at bay for long enough to earn a clean sheet and three more vital points as they continue their march towards the title.