MANCHESTER - Cristiano Ronaldo emphasised his claims to be the best player on the planet with a match-winning double for Manchester United against Fulham.
It was the 11th time Ronaldo has scored twice in a game for the Red Devils - but his wait for a hat-trick goes on after referee Rob Styles booked the Portugal winger for diving rather than awarding what seemed a certain penalty when he fell over Antti Niemi's body as he pursued a Ryan Giggs' through ball.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo's efforts were enough to see United reclaim second spot in the Barclays Premier League with their seventh straight home win - three points adrift of Arsenal, who also have a game in hand.
Having finished runner-up to Kaka in the voting for the prestigious Ballon D'Or this week, Ronaldo is expected to occupy the same position when FIFA host their world player of the year awards in Zurich later this month.
Other than winning the Champions League with United, or Euro 2008 with Portugal, it is difficult to know what more Ronaldo can do to impress the judges.
Having netted a phenomenal 23 goals last season, the former Sporting Lisbon star is already up to 13 this term and few would have been better than his opening salvo here.
When Steven Davis inexplicably nodded what should have been a clearing header straight back into his own penalty area, Nemanja Vidic climbed high enough to nod the ball into Ronaldo's path.
From 10 yards, the winger let fly with a thunderbolt volley Niemi had no chance at all of keeping out.
It was the only thing Niemi did not keep out during an outstanding first-half performance as the Finland goalkeeper proved a particularly frustration for Carlos Tevez.
After denying Tevez with one excellent point-blank save, Niemi pulled off an even better one midway through the opening period after the Argentinian nipped in front of Dejan Stefanovic to reach Ryan Giggs' near-post cross.
True, Tevez's shot struck Niemi flush in the face but no matter. Any part of the body will do.
Tevez was denied again in stoppage-time; Niemi alive to his disguised curling shot to the near post as Wayne Rooney waited for a deeper cross.
On his return to action following an ankle injury, Rooney flitted in and out of the contest, scuffing one effort after being sent through by Rio Ferdinand and another after the interval when Ryan Giggs had set him up.
He also lost his rag with Ronaldo at a failure to supply a simple pass instead of embarking on a series of tricks and left the pitch in a bad mood as well after a couple of borderline offside decisions had gone against him.
At times, United were so much in command it was too easy and as a consequence, passes went astray, offering Fulham hope of avoiding what should have been inevitable defeat.
Danny Murphy, twice the scorer of matchwinners on this ground for Liverpool, forced Edwin van der Sar into a low save and also curled a 20-yard shot just wide.
It was Shefki Kuqi who had the best chance though, arriving unmarked to meet Simon Davies' cross, yet failing to keep his header on target.
Not much changed immediately after the break but any lingering fears of points being needlessly tossed away were dismissed by Ronaldo's second.
Premier League defenders know all about Ronaldo's dancing feet but his heading ability was recently likened to that of 'King' Denis Law by Ferguson, whose words were proved unerringly accurate as he rose to meet John O'Shea's cross and glance it into the bottom corner.
United really should have won by more but after Rooney missed his golden chance, referee Rob Styles booked Ronaldo for diving as he tumbled over Niemi, who had come sliding out to block after the winger had been sent through by Louis Saha.
Whilst it was true no contact had been made, it was only because Ronaldo had taken evasive action and Sir Alex Ferguson's fury on the touchline was understandable.
Niemi denied Ronaldo by more legitimate means not long afterwards before keeping out further efforts from Giggs and Saha to keep the score respectable.
