Wayne Rooney has claimed his winning goal for Manchester United against Fulham on Saturday was similar to the one Cristiano Ronaldo scored at Craven Cottage as the Red Devils claimed the 2007 Premier League title.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points thanks to the 1-0 victory, and the England striker is hoping history repeats itself this season.

“I fancied myself to score,” Rooney told reporters. “It was a little bit similar to Cristiano’s goal. After that goal we went on to win the league and hopefully that can happen again.

“We had a lot of chances, in the first half in particular. Sometimes you wonder if it’s going to be your day, but we kept going and thankfully got the goal and the three points.

“Rafael clearing off the line [from Bryan Ruiz] was a key moment. We had chances too but had to dig in and battle, and we did that to get a massive three points.”

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra was also complimentary of his team-mates following the win.

“We have a winning mentality,” he added. “This is the Manchester United spirit. That is the strength of the boss. It is what he instils in us every year. That is why we want to win every game. It doesn’t matter who we are playing.”