Gunners saw Rooney's 100th Premier League goal

Wayne Rooney bagged his 100th Premier League goal as Manchester United saw off title rivals Arsenal 3-1 at Emirates Stadium.

Sir Alex Ferguson's champions unleashed a devastating display of sweeping, counter-attacking football inspired by the brilliance of Wayne Rooney and Nani.

Wenger had outlined the importance of the meeting with United in the context of the battle to win the Premier League, and by the final whistle saw his hopes placed in painful perspective by a masterful United.

United now stand only one point behind Chelsea having played a game more, but the manner of this victory will send out the message that no-one will find it easy to wrest the title away from Ferguson's side.

A Manuel Almunia own goal and a well-taken effort from Park Ji-sung, either side of Rooney's effort, saw the Red Devils to a comprehensive victory against their arch-rivals.

Thomas Vermaelen did pull one back for the Gunners late on, but it was no more than a consolation.

Both sides looked dangerous on the counter early on, but it was United who made the most of their opportunities as they broke the deadlock after 33 minutes.

The impressive Nani did brilliantly to twist his way inside two defenders and get to the dead-ball line.

From there he looked to stand a cross over the head of Almunia, but the Spanish shot-stopper got a hand on the ball and turned it into his own net.

United were now rampant and added a second four minutes later as Rooney and Nani broke at pace and the former rounded off a sweeping move by steering the ball into the bottom corner.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were in no mood to take their foot of the pedal after the interval and added a clinical third on 52 minutes.

Arsenal were ripped wide open once again and Park was left with the simplest of tasks as he bore down on goal and slid the ball calmly under the onrushing Almunia.

With 10 minutes remaining the Gunners finally found a way through but an acrobatic volley from Vermaelen, which took a big deflection off Jonny Evans, failed to change the course of the game.