PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS: Rooney inspired as United close gap on Chelsea

 WAYNE Rooney fired a sparkling hat-trick as Manchester United closed the gap on league-leaders Chelsea to just two points with a comfortable victory over Portsmouth.

HAT-TRICK HERO: Wayne Rooney nets three as United run riot at Fratton Park (Getty Images)

Pompey gave a stirring performance with Avram Grant in the hot-seat for the first time but there was no containing Rooney at Fratton Park as he smashed home two penalties and third to boot.

Ryan Giggs, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Sunday, rounded off a fine 4-1 win with a delightful free-kick, to pile the pressure on Chelsea, who face London rivals Arsenal tomorrow.

It was Rooney who got the ball rolling with a goal against the run of play - he was brought down in the penalty box by Michael Brown and the England forward dusted himself down to slot home.

But it was not long before Portsmouth were level.

On 31 minutes, Nemanja Vidic was penalised for a foul on Frederic Piquionne and Kevin-Prince Boateng, who missed from the spot last week in the defeat to Stoke, stepped up and this time made no mistake.

That was how it stayed until the half-time interval but just two minutes after the re-start, Rooney had his second, rifling hime from just outside the area to restore his side's advantage.

He notched his third from the spot again on 54 minutes, after Piquionne had mistimed his challenge on Giggs.

And United completed a resounding victory on the south coast when Giggs whipped home an unstoppable free-kick just three minutes from time.

Meanwhile, West Ham opened up some daylight between themselves and the bottom three with a thumping 5-3 win over Burnley.

The Hammers found themselves 3-0 at the break courtesy of goals from Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas and Carlton Cole, who netted from the spot.

Guillermo Franco and Luis Jimenez with another penalty put the hosts five up and cruising and while Steven Fletcher's late double restored an ounce of pride for the Clarets.

Steven Caldwell's late sending off compounded their misery but there was still time for an eighth goal of the game as former Manchester United winger Chris Eagles netted at the death.

Elsewhere, Jimmy Bullard scored from the spot with just eight minutes to go after Shaun Wright-Phillips had netted on the stroke of half-time as Hull and Manchester City shared a 1-1 draw - City's seventh consecutive point in the league.

Wigan bounced back from their 9-1 drubbing at Tottenham with a well-earned 1-0 win over Sunderland, courtesy of Hugo Rodallega's strike, while Blackburn and Stoke drew 0-0.

In the evening game, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.

Gabriel Agbonlahor put the Villains ahead in the tenth minute before Spurs defender Michael Dawson struck to level terms with 13 minutes left on the clock.