Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson saluted Wayne Rooney after the striker broke through the 100-goal mark for the club.

Rooney scored a brace in the 5-0 victory against Wigan at the DW Stadium in an emphatic response to the defeat by Burnley.
Michael Owen also got off the mark for United with Dimitar Berbatov and Nani extending their lead - all the goals coming in the second half.
However the day belonged to Rooney with his 100th and 101st goals for United.
He made the breakthrough with a header from Antonio Valencia's cross and then clipped the ball home after his effort took a slight deflection off Mario Melchiot.
Ferguson said: "It is a great achievement and he is only a young lad.
"Some players have been at the club for many years and not reached that total yet. It will do him a world of good.
"Strikers have to score - that is their mantra. If they are not scoring they think the world is at an end.
"When they are scoring they think they will never finish scoring. But that is what they are."

Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Michael Owen after the striker opened his Manchester United account during the 5-0 drubbing of Wigan.

On a day that saw Wayne Rooney break through the 100-goal mark for United thanks to a brace, Owen entered the fray in the 72nd minute and 13 minutes later beat goalkeeper Chris Kirkland with a cool finish to make it 4-0. It was a clever strike by the former Newcastle striker, who arrived in the summer.
After a week that had seen Ferguson give his public backing for Owen and Dimitar Berbatov - who also scored at the DW Stadium - the wily Scot admitted that he was not that surprised by Owen's strike.
"That is what he needed, he needed a goal," said the Old Trafford boss.
"It is what he is made of. All his career has been about goals.
"He is one the best finishers this country has ever had. Today can only help him.
"I was so pleased for him and Dimitar Berbatov. If the strikers keep doing that it gives us a big chance."
Nani sewed things up with a blistering free-kick in stoppage time and Ferguson was pleased with the way his players reacted to their midweek humbling at Turf Moor, especially in the second half.
He added: "You have got to react to defeat and it is always a challenge. But we got a really good response today.
"When you are making chances and dont take them it is a worry. We made six chances in the first half and did not take any.
"But the important thing is to have the patience to keep playing and keep believing and we did that."

Rooney and Owen get five-star Manchester United back on track

LONDON — Manchester United made amends for their humbling by Burnley as Wayne Rooney's double and Michael Owen's first goal for the Premier League champions inspired a 5-0 win at Wigan on Saturday.

Sir Alex Ferguson reacted to Wednesday's shock 1-0 loss at promoted Burnley by making seven changes and the United manager was rewarded with a superb second half display.

It took the revamped United line-up a while to find their rhythm but, after a goalless first half, Rooney struck in the 56th minute when he met a cross from former Wigan winger Antonio Valenica with a perfect header.

That was Rooney's 100th goal for United and it opened the floodgates.

Dimitar Berbatov put United in complete control in the 58th minute. The Bulgarian finished a flowing move by chipping over Chris Kirkland and shooting into an empty net.

Rooney ended any doubts about the result in the 65th minute when his shot deflected off Mario Melchiot and flashed past the wrong-footed Kirkland.

Owen, signed from Newcastle in the close-season, came off the bench to score for the first time since January with a sublime clipped finish.

Nani, who set up Owen's goal, got on the scoresheet himself in the 90th minute.
"You have to react to a defeat, that's always the challenge," Ferguson said. "We got a reaction, I thought our performance was really good.

"It's great for Wayne to get 100 goals. He's only a young lad and there are players who have been here longer who have got nowhere near that total.

"I'm pleased for Michael as well. He needed a goal, but he's one of the best finishers our country has had."

Arsenal maintained their impressive start to the season with a 4-1 victory over struggling Portsmouth at the Emirates Stadium that sent them top of the table.

The Gunners had confounded critics who wrote off their title hopes by thrashing Everton 6-1 last weekend, then winning at Celtic in the Champions League in midweek.

Wenger still made four changes to the side that beat Celtic, but it proved a successful move as French midfielder Abou Diaby, brought into the team for his 100th Arsenal appearance, opened the scoring in the 18th minute from Eduardo's pass.

Diaby converted Emmanuel Eboue's cross for his second goal three minutes later but Portsmouth reduced the deficit when Younes Kaboul, out-jumping keeper Manuel Almunia, headed home in the 37th minute.

Any hopes of a fightback from Paul Hart's team were ended in the 51st minute through William Gallas's scrambled effort.

Aaron Ramsey confirmed Portsmouth's third successive defeat in the 68th minute with his first league goal for Wenger's team.

"We have had a brilliant start. It should create confidence and momentum," Wenger said.
"We now go into another week which will be another test against Celtic and then Manchester United. It looks to be exciting and interesting."

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor repaid another slice of his 25 million pounds transfer fee as the Togo star's cool finish sealed a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton at Eastlands.

City handed Carlos Tevez his full debut and the former Manchester United forward's cushioned 17th-minute pass picked out Adebayor, who drove in his second goal in two games since joining City from Arsenal.

Trinidad and Tobago forward Kenwyne Jones fired Sunderland to a 2-1 victory over Blackburn.
Sam Allardyce's Rovers, without defender Stephen Warnock as rumours of a move to Aston Villa gathered momentum, took the lead in the 21st minute when French defender Gael Givet smashed a long-range effort past Marton Fulop.

But Sunderland equalised after 32 minutes as Jones took advantage of a slip by Christopher Samba to slot home.

Jones wasn't finished there. In the 53rd minute he met Lee Cattermole's cross with a bullet header to seal the points for Steve Bruce's team.

Hull won for the first time in 13 league matches as Algeria striker Kamel Ghilas's first goal for the club earned a 1-0 victory over Bolton at the KC Stadium.

Ghilas was making his first start for the Tigers after signing from Spanish club Celta Vigo earlier this month.

He marked the occasion in the 61st minute with a blistering volley from Jozy Altidore's pass.
Stoke recovered from their midweek thrashing by Liverpool by grinding out a 0-0 draw at Birmingham.