Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (C) fights for the ball against Aston Villa's Nathan Baker during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford Stadium Sunday. — AP LONDON – Manchester United moved a step closer to retaining the Premier League title with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Aston Villa Sunday to move five points clear at the top. The three points did not arrive without controversy, however, as Ashley Young's theatrical tumble in the penalty area under minimal contact allowed Wayne Rooney to settle the hosts' nerves with a seventh-minute spot kick. Villa, which is still in danger of relegation, offered little and United stretched its lead just before halftime through Danny Welbeck's close-range finish. Rooney scored again with a deflected effort after 73 minutes and Nani added the fourth in stoppage time. United moved to 82 points with four games left. Resurgent Manchester City, which thrashed Norwich City 6-1 away Saturday, is on 77. The top two face off at The Etihad Stadium on April 30. Valencia stumbles Valencia clung on to third place and an automatic berth in next season's Champions League despite crashing to a 4-0 defeat at an inspired Espanyol in La Liga Sunday. Fourth-placed Malaga failed to take full advantage of Valencia's setback in the later kickoff when it surrendered the lead and drew 1-1 at home to Real Sociedad, which had Mikel Gonzalez sent off shortly before halftime. With five matches remaining, Valencia, which plays its Europa League semifinal first leg at La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid Thursday, have 52 points, with Malaga on 51 and fifth-placed Levante, 2-1 loser at home to Barcelona Saturday, on 48. In a congested middle section of the table, where only eight points separate Levante from Rayo Vallecano in 14th, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla all have 45 points and Atletico can join them with a win at neighbours Rayo in the late kickoff. Espanyol is ninth, Bilbao, which won 1-0 at home to Real Mallorca, is eighth and seventh-placed Sevilla can draw level with Levante on 48 with a win at Getafe Monday that would also take them above Osasuna. The Pamplona-based club stay sixth on 46 points after they lost 1-0 at Real Betis. At the other end of the table, Real Zaragoza's bid to avoid the drop gathered pace when it won 1-0 at home to fellow strugglers Granada, a fourth victory in six games. Zaragoza has 31 points in 18th, five behind Granada and three ahead of Sporting Gijon, which lost 3-1 at leader Real Madrid Saturday. Racing Santander stay bottom on 26 points after it could only manage a 1-1 draw at 16th-placed Villarreal. Real will have a four-point advantage over chasing Barca when it meets at the Nou Camp for the second ‘Clasico' of the campaign next weekend after the arch rivals' wins Saturday. Real, whose Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo broke his own Spanish record with his 41st goal of the campaign, came from a goal down to beat Gijon at the Bernabeu. Two hours later Argentina's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi equaled Ronaldo's mark with both goals in Barca's comeback victory at Levante.
