THE last time Sir Alex Ferguson flew out of London after a Premier League match he was heading for the uncertainty of the Club World Cup in Japan and fretting over the potential damage to United’s title hopes.

The Reds were eight points behind league leaders Liverpool and a formidable catch-up schedule looked on the cards.

He jetted out of Heathrow last night to Malta for a mini-break and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the island’s United supporters’ club in a more relaxed mood knowing the Champions have their noses in front and with the experts believing that Liverpool’s challenge will not last the pace.

 The mean, business-like Reds are powering their way to another title.

 Ryan Giggs was with the Reds’ boss as the United contingent left the country for Valetta having shot the Champions back to the top of the table. Most impressively, he became the sixth United player to be the goal-scoring match-winner in the eight 1-0 wins that have seen United claw their way to the summit.

Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov, Cristiano Ronaldo and now Giggs have capitalised on the firm base afforded the forwards by United’s formidable defending.

Edwin Van der Sar added another clean sheet record to his ever-growing list when after 33 minutes and, with his goal still intact, he inched past Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark’s previous all-time British League record set in the 1970-71 season.

History

The Dutchman had a bit of work to do to ensure the Scotsman didn’t remain in the history books.

 However, Scott Parker’s hopeful 40-yard lob after nine minutes probably wouldn’t have beaten a Sunday League keeper!

 Nemanja Vidic has been the only ever present outfield defender in the 12-match mean run and the Serbian’s sterling work won him the Barclays Player of the Month for January for part of his efforts.

 But his heart must have been briefly in his mouth when a glancing back header from him went wide. It would have been a sad irony had he been the man who ruined the record!

 Lucas Neill asked a harder question of Van der Sar after 12 minutes but his drilled effort was smothered by the Dutch veteran but a minute later the 38-year-old really had to stretch every sinew in his ageless body to gather a clever lob from new England squad member Carlton Cole.

United then allowed Van der Sar to stroll to his new title by finally getting their attacking ideas into motion and taking the game to the Hammers.

Influential

 After 21 minutes the increasingly influential Paul Scholes’ deflected shot caught Dimitar Berbatov offside and the Bulgarian’s finish was ruled marginally offside.

Cristiano Ronaldo then saw a fierce header flash just wide from Ryan Giggs’ corner and his clever attempt to deflect a Scholes’ blockbuster into the net was answered with an impressive save by Robert Green.

 Fergie had announced earlier in the season that Giggs’ days as a winger were confined to history. The new-look Welshman has been an intelligent prompting central midfielder ever since using his 18-years of experience to save his legs and prolong a remarkable Old Trafford career and extending his standing as United’s all-time appearance record-holder.

But at Upton Park he suddenly turns up on the right flank in a role he’s rarely occupied. Most notably he featured there in the Champions League final in 1999 to little effect.

 It hadn’t been one of his vintage outings yesterday either until the 62nd minute when he abandoned one wing to drift over to his more comfortable left-hand side briefly.

 He rolled back the years to sell two fantastic dummies with a drop of his right shoulder. The first sent the lunging Cole careering along the turf and the second had Neill equally flummoxed. The space he’d created was exploited as he calmly lined up a low shot that zipped through a packed box and beyond a bewildered Green.

 Once United were in front there never looked any danger that a nine-match run of games in the capital that had yielded a paltry eight points in recent seasons would become a damaging statistic to the Champions ambitions this campaign.