LONDON - Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United beat Fulham 2-0 today to climb to second in the English soccer's Premier League.
Arsenal, who won 2-1 at Aston Villa on Sunday, lead with 36 points from 14 matches with a game in hand.
United have 33, Chelsea31 and Liverpool and Manchester City 30.
Ronaldo opened the scoring at Old Trafford in the 10th minute, volleying the ball into the top corner from Nemanja Vidic's header. It was his 12th goal of the season and seventh in the league. The Portugal winger, second to Brazil's Kaka for the Ballon d'Or at the weekend, struck again 13 minutes into the second half when he rose above defender Dejan Stefanovic to head substitute John O'Shea's cross past keeper Antti Niemi.
United created a string of early chances and Carlos Tevez could have had a hat-trick in the first half, twice heading wide inside the six-yard box and twice forcing point-blank saves from Niemi.
Fulham were on the back foot for the first half hour but then fashioned a chance when Danny Murphy's shot from the edge of the box brought a diving save from Edwin van der Sar low to his left.
Midfielder Murphy also had a shot from the resulting corner, the ball whistling past the top corner of Van der Sar's net.
Fulham striker Shefki Kuqi should have equalised two minutes before the interval when Simon Davies' high cross found him unmarked and the Finn headed over with the goal at his mercy.
Wayne Rooney, in his first match for a month following injury, fluffed a good chance from a low pass by Tevez after 66 minutes.
Ronaldo looked set for a hat-trick 11 minutes from time but after appearing to have been brought down by Niemi he was booked for diving.
The Portuguese was again put clean through by Tevez near the end but Niemi saved.
The victory was United's seventh in a row at home in all competitions.
