Ronaldo reacts to hat-trick and vital victory

The 37-year-old scored two first-half goals and a stunning second-half free-kick to seal the three points for Ralf Rangnick’s side and ensure that United maintained pressure on the other sides competing for a top-four place.

Following the vital win, Ronaldo posted the following image of his match-winning free-kick on Instagram with the words: “Very happy with this win and for getting us back on track in the Premier League.

“Like I said before, individual achievements are only worth it when they help us reach our goals as a team, and the 60th hat-trick in my career is so much more important because it brought us the 3 points. Well done, lads, tremendous effort from everyone. We’re not giving up, we’re fighting until the end!”

United’s no.7 has now scored 15 Premier League goals this season, with only Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah and Tottenham Hotspur striker Heung-Min Son having notched on more occasions.

And Ronaldo’s goals against Norwich had a further bearing on the top-four race, as United’s victory over the Canaries saw the Reds leapfrog Arsenal and close the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham, as both London clubs lost their Easter Saturday fixtures.

Going into the final six fixtures of the season, just three points separate Rangnick’s side from Tottenham, who seemed to have momentum until their loss to Brighton in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The upcoming week is huge for United, as the Reds face Liverpool away on Tuesday before travelling to Arsenal next Saturday.

Rangnick will hope that his star striker Ronaldo can emulate his Norwich performance against both Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta’s sides and strengthen United’s push for Champions League qualification.