It is easy to view Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov as opposites, but opposites do not always attract. They can be thrust together on the presumption Nevertheless, it was almost incongruous to see Berbatov fling himself to the turf to head in Park Ji-Sung's 89th-minute cross - a moment to negate the theory that his kit is invariably the easiest to wash. The finish was a move that featured a beautiful cross-field ball from Rooney to find Park and belatedly seal a victory that could have been more comprehensive.
So this, perhaps, was a rarity, a game where they dovetailed beautifully, sharing all three goals and combining for two of them. Rooney determined it, Berbatov embellished it. That, some may say, is the story of the Bulgarian's Manchester United career. But, confined to the bench in Europe and with disturbing regularity on the road, his was a display of unhurried class.
Rooney's, meanwhile, was another demonstration of an insatiable hunger. Two more goals returned United to the top of the table and took his tally to 32. "I said a while ago it's impossible for a player to get 42 in the present day but he's on 32," Sir Alex Ferguson said. "What can I say? It's a challenge for him. He's possibly got 13 games to go." It was proof that mentions of Cristiano Ronaldo, the 42-goal man, still abound at Old Trafford, but a look outside the ground can provide a reminder of the ultimate objective for an attacker. Denis Law, celebrated in a statue, possesses the club record of 46 goals in a season.
With ruthless efficiency, Rooney is United's modern-day Law, dispensing his own form of justice. He punished Fulham, who had defended with determination until the interval, for a lax start to the second half, scoring within 30 seconds of the restart after a pass from Nani. A second cool display of finishing made a Fulham fightback, which always appeared unlikely, impossible. Short of picking up a green and gold scarf, a la Beckham, and replacing his Scouse tones with a Mancunian accent, there is little more Rooney can do to endear himself to the United faithful.
Berbatov has irritated and enchanted them in equal measure, but he has the capacity to delight, and Ferguson was among those charmed after the Bulgarian's role in Rooney's second. He pushed the ball one side of Chris Baird before displaying an unacknowledged turn of pace to run to the other and then picked out his strike partner. "The making of the second goal was just superb football," Ferguson said. "It was marvellous. He is a really good footballer. He's got good composure on the ball."
There is an art to making things look simple and Berbatov possesses it. When guiding a pass into Darren Fletcher's path or turning to volley a corner just wide, his ability was apparent.
But nonchalance can be a curse when it leads to accusations he is uncaring. Plenty of people go for a stroll after their Sunday lunch, the sceptics say, and not all are wearing Manchester United's No. 9 shirt when they do so. Indeed, the early afternoon feel of such fixtures can suit Berbatov, rather than the urgency and intensity of the evening games. Yet his prominence throughout the game was an indication of an impact that was not achieved solely by standing still.
Nevertheless, it was almost incongruous to see Berbatov fling himself to the turf to head in Park Ji-Sung's 89th-minute cross - a moment to negate the theory that his kit is invariably the easiest to wash. The finish was a move that featured a beautiful cross-field ball from Rooney to find Park and belatedly seal a victory that could have been more comprehensive.
Mark Schwarzer, who denied Rooney and Fletcher, kept Fulham in the game. Berbatov, Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra each might have scored earlier goals. So too, at the other end, could have Bobby Zamora, who was denied an equaliser by a fine challenge by Nemanja Vidic. "The tackle from Vidic was fantastic," Ferguson said. "To get back was really first-class." Class, cliche has it, is permanent; when United return to their time-honoured place at the summit of the division, their dominance can appear so, too.
THE JOY OF ROY: Hodgson deflected questions about whether Rooney is the world's outstanding player by replying: "What difference does it make if the man in the pub says he's good or Roy Hodgson says he's good? It's the same thing."
MAN OF THE MATCH: Dimitar Berbatov. Rooney has 24 goals in 22 games, but Berbatov's stylishness earns him this vote. The antidote to the frenzied, frantic approach of his partner, he savoured the occasion.
MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: A third clean sheet in as many games since Rio Ferdinand and Vidic reformed their alliance in defence may prove the most encouraging element. However, Gary Neville, so impressive against AC Milan, was error-prone and, Park apart, the replacements were largely untried. Injuries did not matter on this occasion, but they present a cause for concern.
FULHAM VERDICT: They were resilient in the first half but a heavy workload took its toll later in the game. Fulham are unused to a sequence of games that includes Juventus, Manchester United and then Juve again. Hodgson gave Simon Davies and Damien Duff 45 minutes each to restrict the risk of injury. At least Clint Dempsey made his first start for two months.
