Fergie pleased by players' patience

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Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Manchester United's performance at Arsenal as their "best of the season" and challenged his side to keep it up.

Ferguson was overjoyed with the way his side demolished the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium and, while he singled out Wayne Rooney and Nani as the players who caught the eye, he was equally effusive about United's defence.

Ferguson said: "Wayne is fantastic. He was world class again. Every time the ball went towards him, we were on the attack. He turned the defenders so many times. It was a really top performance.

"Jonny Evans is a fantastic player and Wes (Brown), considering all the injuries he has had in his career, is an unbelievable defender. He has done well. He was sick at half-time. He had been feeling unwell."

Rooney and Ji-Sung Park scored United's goals after Nani's chip had been palmed into the Arsenal net by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

While Thomas Vermaelen scored a late consolation for Arsenal, Ferguson revealed his side were sparked into such an impressive display by their pulsating victory against Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final last Wednesday.

Now he is hoping Arsenal can do United a favour by going to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and beating Chelsea, whose lead at the top of the Premier League is now down to a single point, albeit with a game in hand.

Ferguson said: "It gives us all a good boost. There is no question about that. We have a lot of tough games coming up. We hope Arsenal take points off Chelsea next Sunday.

"We will be rooting for Arsenal. Now we need to show real consistency to the end of the season. It has been a great week.

"This was the best performance of the season. We were galvanised by the performance on Wednesday. They were ready for it. They were really up for it. Their mental sharpness was fantastic.

"When you play Arsenal you have to take your opportunities because they are a very good team and our counter-attacking was very good.

"My big decision was whether to play Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs. I just felt Scholesy's composure on the ball would be vital for us."

It proved that way, although the man of the match came from a more unlikely source in the shape of Portuguese winger Nani.

Ferguson insisted Nani had produced his finest display in a United shirt and praised his growing maturity.

"The boy has come back after injury and has freshened up," Ferguson said.

"His last three games have been absolutely first class but this was his best. Maturity is why we're seeing the best of him now.

"He's a very shy boy and maybe his personality is getting stronger."

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson praised his players for their patience as they beat Portsmouth 5-0 to go top of the Premier League.

Wayne Rooney's 23rd goal of the season, equalling a career best, broke Portsmouth's resistance at Old Trafford and set United up for a big win.

The breakthrough came in the 40th minute and gave United the impetus they needed, although luck was on their side.

Nani's effort on the stroke of half-time took two deflections and Michael Carrick also got an assist off Portsmouth's Richard Hughes.

It was tough luck on the crisis club - but things only got worse as the game progressed.

Dimitar Berbatov extended United's lead with a clever finish and Marc Wilson rounded things off with an unfortunate own goal to give United a comfortable 5-0 victory.

Ferguson said: "We had a lot of pressure and possession of the ball but we were patient enough.

"That's important when teams come and sit in the way they did here today. Portsmouth were there to make it difficult but we got the goal just before half-time.

"We were a bit fortunate with the second one. Nani beat his man and was trying to play a cross across the box.

"It got a deflection and went past James and into the net. It was fortunate but nonetheless you have to take them. That opened the game for us in the second half.

"We went looking for goals and managed to get three more, the one from Berbatov was brilliant."

Rooney has now scored seven goals in four games after sending a header beyond David James and was presented with the Premier League Player of the Month award before kick-off.

With Aston Villa next up on Wednesday, Ferguson said: "He is in great form.

"It was a great opportunity for us to give him a rest. We had fresh players to come on like Mame Diouf and Michael Owen."

Chelsea could go back to the top on Sunday when they face Arsenal and Ferguson added: "I don't know if I'll watch it or not because I am going up to Glasgow - but I'll be thinking about it."

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant is refusing to throw in the towel despite the club's off-field worries.

He said: "Positive thinking is always better than negative thinking and as long as we have the chance we will fight.

"It is more difficult for us than other teams but sometimes difficult is a challenge. For me it's a challenge.

"It would have been easy to go and no-one could blame me if I left a few weeks ago or one week ago but it is not my way.

"I want to show this character because it is important for the future of the club."

Grant added: "We created two good chances and one came off the line. Then after 40 minutes they scored and got some own goals but Manchester United are a better team than us.

"We need to do our job even if it feels like things are going against us. We cannot think like this."