United sound warning to Chelsea with 5-1 rout of Fulham

LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United kicked off their Premier League title challenge with a 5-1 rout of Fulham today.

Champions Chelsea, who see United as one of their chief rivals for the title, were at home to Manchester City in a match that kicks off at 1500 GMT.

Rooney, putting to the back of his mind the three-match suspension hanging over his head, scored United's third of a four-goal burst in 12 minutes early in the game and rounded off the scoring just past the hour from defender Wes Brown's cross.

The England striker will start a three-match ban on Aug. 23 after being sent off during a pre-season tournament in Amsterdam.

France's Louis Saha, relishing the confidence of manager Alex Ferguson who off-loaded his rival for the central striker's role, Ruud van Nistelrooy, headed the seventh-minute opener from Ryan Giggs's fine cross for his third goal against his ex-club.

Defender Ian Pearce turned the second into his own net in the 14th trying to prevent Saha's pass from finding Rooney.

Rooney netted the rebound after keeper Antti Niemi saved a Saha shot in the 16th and the England striker's fine ball to the far post allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to volley home the fourth from a tight angle three minutes later.

Striker Heidar Helguson pulled one back to make the halftime score 4-1 when his shot from the edge of the box was deflected off Rio Ferdinand and over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

REUTERS DH BST2022