Soccer: Rooney breaks drought with hat-trick against Bolton

A Wayne Rooney hat-trick at Bolton fired Manchester United back to the top of the table in English premier play yesterday.

Bolton's manager, Sam Allardyce, had spoken rather pessimistically of needing a miracle for a first home victory over Manchester United since 1978, but after 90 minutes at Reebok Stadium, that looked like the understatement of the season.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team produced one of the most dominant starts to a game by any away team in memory as Rooney ended his goalless drought with two in the first half.

Bolton, third in the table, improved in the second half, but were left feeling sorry for themselves as Cristiano Ronaldo added a third goal and Rooney completed his hat-trick just before the finish.

The game had been billed as the Premiership's statistically tightest defence against its most prolific attack, the suggestion being that a good proportion of the play would take place around Bolton's penalty area.

That was certainly the way of it in the first 30 minutes, in which United, utterly dominant, reduced the home support to shocked silence.

When Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock was looking at the "congratulations on your promotion" messages last spring he was surprised to find one from Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho.

"It was nice," Warnock said, "but I did say to him that I hoped the only two losses he would suffer this season would be against Sheffield United."

Some chance. That hope was exposed when Chelsea comfortably denied United the first half of their dream double with a swagger that would have sent a wave of trepidation through their title rivals.

The champions came, saw and conquered almost at will, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack claiming the goals.

Only once did they look likely to be discomfited, when Didier Drogba was judged to have fouled Claude Davis in the first half.

The fact that it was Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper, Henrique Hilario, who saved Danny Webber's penalty with a dive to his left, underlined the west London side's strength.

"The penalty save could have been crucial," Mourinho said. "If Sheffield United had been 1-0 in front, playing with enthusiasm and the crowd behind them, you never know.

"So that was a three-point save."

Lampard and Ballack threatened to add more goals, but when nothing came of their efforts Chelsea remembered their Champions League match with Barcelona on Wednesday and eased themselves snugly into their comfort zone.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp had insisted during the week that four defeats in five games did not mean the wheels had fallen off for his team.

He was proved emphatically right yesterday when his side swept to victory over Reading with astonishing ease.

As so often this season, it was Nwankwo Kanu who was at the centre of things.

Even in his youth he was never a player who exactly fizzed with energy, but now that he has turned 30 he has the languid authority of a zen master.

An early Brynjar Gunnarsson own goal set them on their way, Kanu doubled the lead in the 52nd minute and Pedro Mendes capped a fine win with a 20m drive in the 66th.

Reading finally woke up in the final 10 minutes, with Kevin Doyle sliding the ball in after a goalmouth scramble and a wild flap from Portsmouth keeper David James.

Watford fans are still at that exciting stage of their life in the top division where they cheer the winning of a corner or even a throw.

Just as well, since winning matches continues to elude them, though they are rapidly establishing themselves as the Premiership's draw champions with six of them now in 10 games. But they could, and should, have done better in the 0-0 deadlock against a lacklustre Tottenham.

The division's last unbeaten record disappeared in emphatic style as Villa went down at Liverpool, the home side's three goals coming in the first half from Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch and Luis Garcia.

Gabriel Agbonlahor pulled one back for Villa in the 56th but Liverpool were safe winners to move above Villa and into the top half of the table.

A case of paradise postponed in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Everton? For 45 minutes it was, as a redoubtable Everton thwarted their hosts' intention of continuing where they had left matters last week in the 4-0 thumping of Reading.

Finally, Arsene Wenger's men came alive in the second half, producing the kind of football that has come to be associated with the Frenchman's philosophy.

The fact that his side were unable to supplement Robin van Persie's equaliser, which had negated Tim Cahill's first-half goal, was partly the consequence of their own failure to finish, but was also testimony to the visitors' defensive resolution.

Did Arsenal have one eye on Thursday's Champions League game against CSKA Moscow? Possibly. The reality is that for all Arsenal's title aspirations, rekindled after an indifferent start, they are still finding it difficult to win at home. Their two home Premiership wins, from five games, have come against newly promoted sides.

Newcastle United drew with bottom club Charlton Athletic 0-0 and Wigan won 1-0 at Fulham.

- INDEPENDENT, REUTERS