Van Nistelrooy puts United on the verge

Manchester United 4 Charlton Athletic 1

A small step for man, a giant step for Manchester United. Beating a Charlton Athletic team who have again broken up early for their summer hols never looked likely to require putting their best foot too far forward, as the bookmakers' odds against the visitors of 11-1 implied. The margin was important, however, in case dropped points at Everton next weekend should mean that the championship is decided on goal difference; another Ruud van Nistelrooy hat-trick helped improve United's to four better than Arsenal, who could win their three remaining games and still lose the title.

The Dutchman was irrepressible again in scoring for the ninth successive game and reaching 43 goals for the season, only three short of Denis Law's 1963-4 club record. With four centre-halves missing, Charlton faced a catchweight contest and were grateful to escape with their dignity intact. There was even an unexpected bonus for their neat if unthreatening football in the shape of an equalising goal soon after David Beckham had put United in front, gifted to them by an error from Roy Carroll, the goalkeeper again preferred to Fabien Barthez.

Old Trafford also acclaimed an immaculate performance by Roy Keane. Although harassed throughout by Charlton's impressive young midfielder Scott Parker, the Irishman was in his element with the scent of another trophy in his nostrils, taking the ball off his back four and spraying it forward, and breaking up a high percentage of the opposition's attempts to break forward.

But if the crowd were in celebratory mood long before the end of United's final home game, neither Keane nor Sir Alex Ferguson got where they are today – the verge of another championship – by taking anything in their chosen profession for granted. United even forsook a lap of the pitch, thanking their support instead from the centre circle as the manager took the microphone to announce: "At the last home match we normally do a lap of honour, but what's important is next Sunday at Everton."

One slip by Arsenal in two matches this week and the visit to Goodison will become a party. After the match, Ferguson said: "That was exactly what we needed. In the end it was a first-class performance. The mood is right, I can smell it in the dressing room. One thing is for certain, we are in a great position. We showed our focus today. The boys have got their eyes on the title and they want it."

Charlton's Alan Curbishley, who must at one stage have feared a repeat of the 6-1 beating by Leeds, was happy with his side's efforts on the fiercely sloping playing field that is the Premiership. "United and Arsenal have been dominant over the last few years and I hope they don't just pull away from the rest, because it's not good for the League," he said. "I hope it doesn't become like Scotland, where Rangers and Celtic decide the title every year when they play each other." Given his resources, Curbishley's achievement if Charlton can finish in the top 10 would stand comparison with Ferguson's.

A goalless draw in the corresponding fixture a year ago was United's only one in the last 164 domestic games. It took a mere 11 minutes for the sequence to be maintained. The combative Parker fouled Paul Scholes and a short free-kick was played square to Mikael Silvestre, whose diagonal cross was miscued into the air by Chris Powell. Beckham, latching on to it, drifted inside to shoot left-footed, the ball hitting Powell again to veer away from the goalkeeper, Dean Kiely.

The only diversion from the anticipated script occurred a couple of minutes later. Keane chased back down the touchline to retrieve a loose ball and passed back to Carroll; although under pressure from Shaun Bartlett, he ought to have done better than skid a low clearance straight to Claus Jensen, 30 yards out, who returned it immediately and accurately into the empty net.

For a while United did not flow and Arsenal hoped. Some hope. Ryan Giggs, having started as a floater in attack, switched with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to his old position wide on the left and by half time two more goals had arrived. Van Nistelrooy scored both, starting just with a wonderfully sharp turn to hook past Kiely after Silvestre challenged for Beckham's inswinging corner. Five minutes later Silvestre crossed again, Solskjaer nudged on and the Dutchman made light of a difficult chance to lob in.

Charlton might have liked to retire hurt at the interval but did not have that option and as Juan Sebastian Veron (hoping to become the first Argentinian to win an English championship medal), Diego Forlan and Nicky Butt joined the fray at various stages, they had to be content with restricting United to one more score. It came in the 64th minute when Van Nistelrooy was granted too much room by Luke Young, who was doing reluctant sentry duty in the absence of all the injured centre-halves and may have been surprised by the precision with which Beckham's long cross arrowed to his colleague's feet.

Even Keane ventured forward to join a marvellously fluent move involving Silvestre, Beckham, Scholes and Solskjaer, but Kiely saved, and Charlton survived without further damage. The last 10 minutes of United's home programme were played out in rain that failed entirely to dampen a mood of celebration among the home supporters. Even if Ferguson, Keane and the professionals declined to join in, it suddenly did not seem too premature.

The squad assembled in the middle of the pitch, Gary Neville on crutches, and after Fergie's few words, the crowd drifted happily away. Almost all of them therefore missed the final entertainment of the afternoon – Beckham re-emerging from the tunnel in full kit with young Brooklyn to enjoy a kickabout for some 30 minutes. Does he believe they might not have the opportunity at Old Trafford next season?

Manchester United 4 Charlton Athletic 1

Beckham 11, Van Nistelrooy 32, 37, 53; Jensen 13

Half-time: 3-1 Attendance: 67,721