Red Devils rout Gunners 8-2

Manchester United utterly eviscerated Arsenal in a one-sided encounter at Old Trafford, eventually running up an 8-2 scoreline that saw Wayne Rooney claim a hat-trick and Ashley Young run riot.

Young scored twice and Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-Sung all got themselves on the scoresheet as Arsene Wenger's side were utterly humiliated on Sunday afternoon, with Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie - who earlier missed a penalty - scoring the Gunners' two consolations.

It always looked like Arsenal would be up against it, after Wenger was forced to name youngster Francis Coquelin in an inexperienced lineup, while Sir Alex Ferguson was able to name the same lineup that comfortably beat Tottenham Hotspur last Monday.

It took just 22 minutes for United to begin their assault on the scoreboard, as Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the hosts after taking advantage of some shocking communication between Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny. Just four minutes later, the visitors had a chance to get back on level terms, however, after Theo Walcott went down under pressure from Jonny Evans - but Van Persie saw his penalty saved by David de Gea in a passage of play that changed the course of the game. Young almost immediately doubled United's lead with a beautiful curling shot from 25 yards before Wayne Rooney beat Szczesny's outstretched hand from a well-worked free-kick to make it three.

During all that action, United even had to absorb a set-back, as Welbeck was forced off after pulling up with a hamstring injury. Just before half-time, Walcott fired through De Gea's legs to give Arsene Wenger's men a glimmer of hope, but that was to prove short-lived as United came out still firing on all cylinders in the second half. In the 64th minute, Rooney got his second in almost identical circumstances to his first - this time wrong-footing Szczesny at his far post - before three minutes later Nani dinked an effort over the Poland goalkeeper while one-on-one to make it five.

Substitute Park Ji-sung then added a sixth before Van Persie finally got the better of De Gea to reduce the deficit to a mere four - although the action showed no signs of abating. Full-back Carl Jenkinson was then sent off for his second bookable offence after bringing down another substitute, Javier Hernandez, as the Mexican bore down on goal, before Rooney completed his hat-trick from 12 yards after Walcott had given away a silly penalty.

At this point Wenger had his head in his hands, but the humiliation was not quite over, with Young getting his second goal of the game in similar fashion as the 90 minutes came to a close.