Manchester United FC: Ferguson: We played like champions

Apr 3 2011

Manchester United FC: Sir Alex Ferguson declared Manchester United had "played like champions" after watching them add another entry to their pantheon of great comebacks by beating West Ham to edge closer to the Barclays Premier League title.

In a sensational 19 minutes that included a 14-minute Wayne Rooney hat-trick, the leaders turned a 2-0 defeat into a 4-2 victory, propelling them eight points clear at the top of the table and piling the pressure back on Arsenal and Chelsea behind them.

"We played like champions," said a delighted Ferguson. "It was a real championship performance as far as I'm concerned."

He added: "I said to them at half-time, 'Look, goal difference doesn't matter now - you're getting something from this game'.

"'The next goal wins the game'.

"That's why I put Ryan (Giggs) back to left-back to have a go and just attack. It paid dividends and I'm pleased with that."

So often have United produced such remarkable fightbacks, it is no longer a surprise when they pull one off.

Ferguson added: "They've got the ability to turn it around - that's the first thing. But they've got great faith in themselves, faith in the team, faith in their team-mates.

"It doesn't always work but you can rest assured, they keep trying to create and play their football, and in the second half we dominated."