Van Nistelrooy serves up High Noon feast

Manchester United 3 Fulham

Three goals, the second of which was breathtaking. The supporters and the manager may despise early-Saturday kick-offs, but they do provide Manchester United with an opportunity to toss a gauntlet in Arsenal's direction. Yesterday they reached the top of the Premiership for the first time this season, using the 12.30 start to move a point ahead of the champions.

Last week, United's lunchtime triumph piled the pressure on their strongest rivals, who duly lost at Blackburn; today Arsenal face Everton knowing another reverse will concede the advantage to Sir Alex Ferguson's team. Suddenly it's not so bad to be the early birds.

Certain Ruud van Nistelrooy will have little reason to complain when the pasta next arrives at breakfast time. He scored all three goals to take his tally to 32 for the season, and his second was so spectacular it would gladly have been claimed by George Best. Expect it to be vying for a place on Old Trafford Great Goals DVDs for many years to come.

The Dutchman is noted for his power and predatory instincts in the area rather than his running with the ball, but on this occasion he spreadeagled the Fulham defence. He was surrounded by three players in the centre circle and Fulham felt he used his elbow to gain space, but once he turned there was destructive beauty to his actions. Van Nistelrooy thought about and ignored a pass to his left, accelerated past two challengers and then shaped to strike with his left before passing into the net with his right.

"It was a fantastic goal, marvellous," Ferguson said. "We are top of the League and it's where you want to be. The players' character is helping, you saw that today. There was a determination and resilience about them, so hopefully there's going to be exciting times."

Jean Tigana, the Fulham manager, also praised Van Nistelrooy's goal, although he was not happy with the flying Dutchman's arm that caught Sylvain Legwinski. "Two players stopped because they expected the referee to blow for a free-kick," he said. "Sylvain has a cut above his eye and a big bruise."

Like the supporters, who staged a protest before the match to signal their displeasure at the scarcity of Saturday 3pm kick-offs at Old Trafford, Ferguson does not appreciate the early starts, and given United's patchy first half you could understand why. After an initial flurry when Van Nistelrooy twice tested the reflexes of Maik Taylor with fierce drives to the near post and Ryan Giggs had a toe-poke cleared off the line by Andy Melville, Fulham dominated for 20 minutes, and were unfortunate not to take the lead.

Luis Boa Morte was just wide with a header in the 18th minute, and nine minutes later the visitors came even closer when Steed Malbranque wriggled along the area before teeing up Martin Djetou. The French midfielder chose precision rather than power, side-footing his shot past Fabien Barthez, and he was unfortunate when it hit the bar.

This ought to have acted as an alarm call for United, but if it did the snooze button was on, because it was another 10 minutes before they properly came to life. David Beckham's low free-kick was only just scrambled clear by Taylor's dive to his left, and in the 42nd minute Giggs was narrowly inaccurate with a header.

United came even closer two minutes later when Gary Neville's cross eluded the Fulham defenders and bounced off the boot of Van Nistelrooy, who looked as surprised as anyone when the ricochet went goalwards and was denied only by Taylor's save. Momentum was building, however, and there was an air of inevitability when the home side took the lead just before half-time.

There was only a hint of danger as Beckham passed into the area, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned so sharply that Djetou was left stranded, and his instinct was to grab hold of the Norwegian's shirt as he sped away. Van Nistelrooy rarely misses from the penalty spot and he was successful again, drilling a low shot to the right of Taylor.

Fulham had reason to believe they were unlucky to be behind and they began the second half like men nursing a grievance. Twice they had the United defenders running round like chickens looking for their heads in the six-yard box, and Zat Knight stung Barthez's fingers with a ferocious 25-yard free-kick.

United were clinging to their lead, but their hold on the game tightened dramatically with Van Nistelrooy's spectacular strike after 67 minutes – he rated it as his best for the club – and he almost repeated the trick with another brilliant running shot 11 minutes later, Taylor dropping gratefully on the ball.

But on this form Van Nistelrooy was unlikely to be denied, and in the last minute he appeared at the far post to complete his hat-trick, tapping in Giggs's cross, the shot beating Taylor partly due to a deflection off Jon Harley.

"It's similar lines to the year we overtook Newcastle," Ferguson said, recalling the season his side struck late for the winning line. "When you have a big lead and it starts to be whittled away it's a worry for them." With Wes Brown and John O'Shea nursing hamstring injuries and Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal – not to mention Real Madrid in the Champions' League quarter-finals – next on the agenda, United need to spread as much anxiety as they can.

Manchester United 3 Fulham 0
Van Nistelrooy 45 pen, 68, 90

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 67,706