Berbatov scores 3 as United routs Birmingham 5-0

Posted Sunday, January 23, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Dimitar Berbatov scored his third hat trick of the season Saturday as Manchester United routed a struggling Birmingham 5-0 to remain unbeaten in the Premier League after 22 games.

Berbatov gave United the lead after just two minutes with a close-range header and added the second in the 31st. He then combined with Wayne Rooney to set up Ryan Giggs for the third just before the break, before completing his hat trick by sliding home Giggs’ cross in the 53rd.

Nani completed the rout with a long-range effort in the 76th.

United tops the table with 48 points and has 11 wins and a draw from 12 home games.

“He (Berbatov) could have scored more,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “We were a bit wasteful at times with our finishing but you can’t complain. The third goal was very exciting. The way they (Berbatov and Rooney) interchanged right on halftime killed them.

Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster had a miserable night as Berbatov opened the scoring with an easy header after Giggs swung over a corner and John O’Shea’s flicked-on header was met by the Bulgarian from barely two yards out.

“The early goal helped, they had to open the up,” Ferguson said. “It’s a different perspective they are facing and we capitalized on that.”

Foster then almost gifted United a second goal moments later.

The England goalkeeper’s weak kick was scuffed straight into Berbatov’s path, and after combining with Rooney the in-form striker was denied as Foster redeemed himself with a save.

United kept up the pressure and Birmingham continued to gift possession, as Roger Johnson’s error saw Rooney collect the loose ball before feeding Berbatov, who beat Foster with a low shot from 12 yards out.

Berbatov, who scored five goals against Blackburn at Old Trafford earlier this season, then came close to adding to his tally when his 20-yard shot flew inches wide.

But Giggs wouldn’t be denied in added time when he met Rooney’s cross and fired into the roof of the net.

Giggs announced this week he plans to play another year, and the 37-year-old veteran showed he can still play against much younger opponents.

“He’s as fresh as a daisy,” Ferguson said. “He also looks after himself.”

Rooney should have scored when he met Nani’s cross just moments after the restart, but missed an easy header. Instead it was Berbatov who added the fourth, with Giggs as the provider as his cross was stabbed home by the in-form striker off the underside of the crossbar.

Birmingham’s misery was compounded when Fahey somehow missed from point-blank range.

And Nani only piled on the woe when he struck home in the 76th from just outside the box as Manchester United sent out another message of intent to their title rivals.

“You can play your best and most experienced defenders and still lose here,” said Birmingham manager Alex McLeish. “We were perhaps a bit bold and sometimes you get punished and sometimes it pays off. We were punished here. We shot ourselves in the foot, though, our defending was amateurish at times.”