LONDON (AP):

Manchester United beat a major rival for the first time this season with a 3-0 win over Chelsea yesterday that moved the defending champions to within five points of the Premier League lead.

Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov scored at Old Trafford to lift the Red Devils to 41 points, just one fewer than second-place Chelsea.

Crucially, though, United's midseason trip to Japan to win the Club World Cup means it has played two matches fewer than both the teams above it. Victories in their next matches against Wigan and Bolton could put United at the top for the first time this season.

United had lost at Arsenal and Liverpool this season and managed just a draw at Chelsea in September, but mostly dominated a Chelsea team that has beaten only last-place West Bromwich Albion in their last five Premier League matches.

While the defeat was Chelsea's heaviest for two years, United have not conceded a goal in eight Premier League matches and have the league's best defence with just 10 goals allowed.

Outplayed the Blues

United outplayed the Blues' five-man midfield despite leaving Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Anderson among the substitutes to deploy Darren Fletcher and Giggs centrally.

"I'm no stranger to playing there," said midfielder Ryan Giggs, who spent most of his career at United playing on the left wing. "I just tried to control the game and use my experience."

Giggs thought he had set up United's opening goal in the 45th minute after Rooney took a disguised short corner by rolling the ball into play with the underside of his boot.

With Chelsea's defense unaware of what had happened and still thinking that the corner had yet to be taken, Giggs crossed the ball and Cristiano Ronaldo headed in, but the referee ruled out the goal because he had not given permission for the corner to be taken.

When he did, Vidic made it 1-0 with a header at the far post.

"I don't think the linesman knew that Wayne had taken a short one," Giggs said. "I don't know if Wayne told him or not. I jogged past Wayne and he said, 'I've took it'."

Ronaldo set up the second goal in the 63rd with a back-heeled pass down the left wing that Patrice Evra crossed for Rooney to hit through defender Ashley Cole's legs and past goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The Portugal winger then crossed to Berbatov for an 87th-minute tap-in.

Chelsea did not manage a shot on target.

"Normally, these games are so tight it's hard to pick the winner," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "Getting the goal just before half-time really helped us."

First goal for Wigan

Also yesterday, Maynor Figueroa scored his first goal for Wigan in injury time to give his team a 1-0 win over Tottenham.

With Spurs defender Michael Dawson off injured and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes labouring with what appeared to be a muscle problem, Figueroa - a Honduras defender who is on loan from Deportivo Olimpia - headed in a corner by Ryan Taylor at the near post.

The result kept Tottenham in the relegation zone and winless in five league matches, while Wigan consolidated their hold on seventh place and maintained their status as the Premier League's most in-form team - with 18 points from the last seven games.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp seemed genuinely worried that his team could be relegated.

"It looks like a certain kind of player right through the squad," Redknapp said.

"There is plenty of flair. But we are in a relegation scrap and we need some men and some characters to get us out of it, that is what you are looking for when you are in the position we are in. We've got some, but not enough."