LONDON, (Reuters) – Goals from Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung gave Manchester United a clinical 2-0 win at Middlesbrough yesterday to extend their lead in the Premier League to six points with four games remaining.
The champions were unruffled by a Boro side who offered surprisingly little fight considering they are in grave danger of being relegated and it would now take a monumental collapse by Alex Ferguson’s side if they are not to claim an 18th title.
“We are whittling the games away,” said Ferguson, whose side have 80 points from 34 games compared to the 74 from 34 of Liverpool who host Newcastle United today.
“It’s a big step forward today, there’s only four games left and eventually there will be none and hopefully we’ll still be top of the league.”
Chelsea are behind Liverpool on goal difference after Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba were on target in a 3-1 home defeat of west London rivals Fulham although they have just three games left. Arsenal are fourth with 68 points following a 3-0 victory at Portsmouth.
United were without the injured Rio Ferdinand and rested Cristiano Ronaldo, Edwin van der Sar and Michael Carrick in advance of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final, second leg at Arsenal where they hold a 1-0 lead.
However, despite the changes they were still able to stroll through a potentially tricky fixture at the Riverside.
“Once we got in front that sealed the victory,” Ferguson said. “Middlesbrough are a young side and once they had to chase the game it opened it up for us really.”
Boro could have gone in front just before Giggs scored when Jeremie Aliadiere’s shot was saved by Ben Foster.
Giggs, voted England’s Player of the Year by his peers in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) last week, showed his class to put United in front.