(CNN) -- Manchester United are now just one point behind leaders Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League, after a double from in-form Wayne Rooney helped them to a comfortable 3-0 home win over West Ham on Tuesday evening.
England striker Rooney, who is enjoying the best goalscoring run of his career, has now scored 27 goals this season, as well as finding the net in United's last six league matches at Old Trafford.
Former England striker Michael Owen added a late third goal, to ensure that United head into Sunday's League Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley in good heart.
Rooney opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, superbly converting a diving header from Antonio Valencia's cross.
And the 24-year-old doubled his advantage in similar vein in the second half, again finding space to head home another pin-point Valencia cross.
West Ham arrived at Old Trafford on the back on consecutive victories that had seen them move away from the relegation zone, but they were always second best here and their fate was sealed when Owen netted his eighth goal of the season from a Paul Scholes through-pass.
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