Shinji Kagawa
hit a hat-trick as Manchester United warmed up for the visit of Real
Madrid with a 4-0 rout of Norwich City on Saturday that sent them 15
points clear in the Premier League. United will resume their last-16 tie
against Madrid on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw in the away leg and
Kagawa's first United treble ensured they will approach the game
brimming with confidence.
Ryan Giggs was
made to wait for his 1,000th senior appearance after being left out of
United's match-day squad, but manager Alex Ferguson selected his
first-choice strike pairing of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. The hosts dominated the first half at Old Trafford but they had to wait until first-half stoppage time to take the lead.
Japan
international Kagawa claimed the goal, beating Norwich goalkeeper Mark
Bunn with a near-post volley after van Persie had helped on Antonio
Valencia's inswinging right-wing cross. Kagawa doubled United's tally 14
minutes from time, sweeping home from Rooney's square pass, and
completed his treble in the 87th minute by racing onto a Rooney lay-off
and coolly lifting the ball over Bunn.
Rooney
got on the score-sheet in the final minute with a beautiful strike into
the top-left corner from outside the box to further amplify the task
facing second-place Manchester City, who visit Aston Villa on Monday.
Bottom
club Queens Park Rangers gave their bid to avoid relegation a huge shot
in the arm by winning 2-1 at Southampton to close to within four points
of safety. Jay Bothroyd tapped in a cross from Park Jisung in the 77th
minute to give QPR victory at St Mary's, after Loic Remy's 14th-minute opener was cancelled out by Gaston Ramirez's clever dinked finish on the stroke of half-time.
Chelsea
ended a difficult week by winning 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion
to reclaim third place from Tottenham Hotspur, who host Arsenal on
Sunday. Oscar and Juan Mata both went close for Chelsea in the early
stages before Demba Ba
scored the only goal in the 28th minute, hooking home from six yards
after David Luiz headed Oscar's deep cross from the left back across
goal.
Reading, second from bottom, received
another setback in their fight to avoid the drop as they sank to a
third consecutive loss in a 3-1 defeat at Everton. Marouane Fellaini broke the deadlock with a 42nd-minute header, with Steven Piennar's fine goal making it 2-0 in the 59th minute.
Pienaar then created Everton's third in the 66th minute with a through-ball that was converted by Kevin Mirallas, before Hal Robson-Kanu replied for the Royals.
Sunderland came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to Fulham in an open game at the Stadium of Light. A Dimitar Berbatov penalty and a Sascha Riether strike put the visitors 2-0 up inside 35 minutes, but Craig Gardner immediately reduced the arrears from the penalty spot and Stephane Sessegnon pounced to claim a 70th-minute equaliser.
Elsewhere, substitute Jack Collison
gave West Ham United a 1-0 win at Stoke City, while an 85th-minute Luke
Moore effort earned League Cup winners Swansea City a 1-0 win at home
to Newcastle United.