Manchester United Football Club News

• Nickname:Red Devils
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Sir Alex Ferguson

• Ground:Old Trafford
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Fergie praises mature Nani

01 Feb 2010 - 08:23:44

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Sir Alex Ferguson praised Nani's mature display in Manchester United's 3-1 victory at Arsenal on Sunday as his side emerged as Chelsea's main challengers for this season's Premier League title.

The Portugal star had been criticised for several below-par displays in the first half of the campaign but was in sparkling form at the Emirates Stadium.

Ferguson also hailed Wayne Rooney after the crucial victory as well as defenders Jonny Evans and Wes Brown.

He said: "The boy has come back after injury and has freshened up. 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.

"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.

"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."