United kept the pressure on at the top

Manchester United kept the pressure on at the top of the table with an emphatic 4-0 victory away to West Ham.

An uninspiring contest exploded into life on the stroke of half-time when Paul Scholes crashed a powerful volley past Robert Green from the edge of the area, and United then produced a superb second-half performance.

Darron Gibson then put the Red Devils in total control with a magnificent goal just after the hour mark and there was no way back for the Hammers in the closing stages.

Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney also struck in quick succession, although Sir Alex Ferguson will have been concerned to see both Gary Neville and Wes Brown pick up injuries.

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A sloppy Ryan Giggs backpass almost let in Jack Collison but Paul Scholes hammered in the first after 44 minutes.

Giggs set up Darron Gibson to fire in a fine second goal before Alessandro Diamanti came close with a free-kick.

Wayne Rooney and Anderson linked up well for Antonio Valencia to score a third, and Valencia then crossed in for Rooney to add to the Hammers misery.

Despite collecting three points Sir Alex Ferguson will be extremely concerned with an injury list now totalling eight first-team players after Wes Brown and Gary Neville both picked up knocks.

After a lacklustre opening from both teams with Darren Fletcher starting at right back, the Red Devils will be grateful for their goalscorers after Giggs and Michael Carrick were forced to finish the match at the back.

Considering there had been more goals at Upton Park than at any other Premier League ground this season, the first-half was a relatively subdued affair between two sides both desperate for three points at opposite ends of the table.

It was Giggs, so outstanding in recent games, who surprisingly created the first chance for the opposition.

An uncharacteristic poor backpass from the Welsh veteran opened the door for Zavon Hines to cross from the left for Jack Collison at the back post, but Giggs made amends by battling back to make a last-ditch tackle.

Hines, in for the injured Carlton Cole, spent much of the first-half menacing the unfamiliar defence which included Fletcher because of Nemanja Vidic's illness.

Injuries and players in unusual positions were all set to dominate the talk at the interval until Scholes picked up the ball on the edge of the box with the last kick of the half.

The 35-year-old, who revealed this week his Old Trafford career may be over soon, chested down a cleared Danny Gabbidon header around Radoslav Kovac and blasted in brilliantly with his left foot from the edge of the box.

The former England midfielder's 99th Premier League goal was a dazzling and unexpected way to conclude what was largely a dismal 45 minutes of football.

West Ham were forced to bring on Diamanti for the injured Hines upfront but it was not long before his defence was undone for the second time of the day.

Giggs burst forward with a typical counter-attack and set up Gibson on the edge of the box to score his third belter of the week after his brace in the Carling Cup against Tottenham.

Substitute Diamanti almost pulled one back with a curling free-kick but the alert Tomasz Kuszczak palmed the ball to safety.

Having conceded eight goals in their last three games before Saturday's encounter, the head of West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola was soon hanging low again.

Rooney and Anderson worked brilliantly together on the left and Valencia was sliding in to score the third and the hosts were rocking in desperation.

Valencia then turned provider and crossed in from the right for Rooney to make no mistake from six yards.