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Van Nistelrooy treble lifts United
LONDON, England -- Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a hat-trick as English champions Manchester United kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 4-1 win over Leicester. United captain Roy Keane opening the scoring on 15 minutes and Dutchman van Nistelrooy effectively killed the match a minute later with the first of his three, drilling Paul Scholes' pass past Leicester keeper Ian Walker. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink earned a 1-0 win for second-placed Chelsea against Aston Villa. The return of Paul Scholes from injury was the catalyst for a comfortable win for Manchester United at Leicester. The England midfielder provided the pass for Keane to score the opener and then fired in a shot which van Nistelrooy turned into the net a minute later. Van Nistelrooy's second followed an excellent piece of individual control just before halftime and he completed his hat-trick just seven minutes into the second half. Frank Sinclair got Leicester's consolation effort. "The movement, passing and enthusiasm from all 11 players was terrific," United coach Alex Ferguson said. "It was a really first-class performance. "Ruud showed today he is a great player. There can't have been many strikers as good as him over the years." Ferguson was also happy to have Scholes back. "He gives us other avenues and having him is a real bonus," said the manager, who added that Scholes would definitely play against Stuttgart in Wednesday's Champions League clash. Chelsea had to work hard for the points against Villa, but made the breakthough when Hasselbaink was first to the rebound after Thomas Sorenstam failed to hang onto Frank Lampard's shot. Middlesbrough's first away win of the season -- and Southampton's first defeat -- was sealed when Christie fired in a shot from outside the box on 13 minutes. Southampton striker Kevin Phillips was sent off in injury time after clashing with Franck Queudrue. Last-placed Wolverhampton looked on course for their first-ever Premier League win after Alex Rae volleyed them into a first-half lead, but Kevin Davies earned Bolton a share of the points with five minutes left. Birmingham continued their impressive start with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth, thanks to goals from Stephen Clemence and Stan Lazaridis. Arsenal lead the Premier League with 17 points from seven games after their 3-2 win at Newcastle on Friday. Chelsea and United both have 16 points, but Chelsea have a game in hand on both their rivals. Birmingham are fourth on 14 points, also with a game in hand.
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