Giggs hails United form after cruise at Cottage

Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United are in indomitable form right now.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side picked up their second victory in west London in four days on Wednesday night as they brushed aside Fulham. Danny Welbeck, Nani, Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov netted the goals as United secured a comfortable 5-0 victory at Craven Cottage.

Giggs’ effort means he has now scored in all 20 Premier League seasons but the veteran midfielder was more pleased by the team performance.

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“It’s been a good few weeks,” Giggs told MUTV. “You saw what we’re capable of [at Fulham] and that’s the standard we set ourselves. It was a similar story at Queens Park Rangers [last Sunday]. There, we just didn’t finish the chances off. Today we managed to score the goals.

“To come to a place like Craven Cottage and have that sort of movement and interplay was first-class. For myself and Michael Carrick in midfield, the movement in front of us was brilliant. Obviously the defending was good as well. But when you have so many options on the ball – people running in behind, people dropping in the hole – we’re a very difficult team to play. The performance was really pleasing.”

United’s victory maintains the pressure on Manchester City heading into Christmas, with Wigan travelling to Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Midfielder Gareth Barry is determined to keep City at the forefront of the title race.

City secured top spot at Christmas with a convincing 3-0 defeat of Stoke at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, meaning Roberto Mancini’s men have dropped only seven points since the season began and scored an impressive 53 goals in their 17 games.

Despite that, arch rivals United remain just two points behind and Barry admits City cannot afford to ease up.

Barry told City TV: “At the moment things are going really well. We have set a fast pace in the Premier League but we are still only two points clear at the top. That shows us that there are still other good teams around. All the time we are top we know it is in our own hands and we will keep trying to win games.”

Barry has been highly influential in City’s blistering start to the campaign and has been a regular in midfield alongside lynchpin Yaya Toure. Mancini, with an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, often juggles his side but the 30-year-old England international has now started five games in succession.

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Barry said: “I feel really good at the moment, really fit. It’s good to get a good run in the team because the players we have in the squad, it is sometimes hard to get a constant run. But, when you are playing regularly, that obviously helps. I am really enjoying my football at the moment.”