Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 50th club hat-trick as Manchester United moved to within three points of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth with a battling 3-2 victory over Norwich City.

The Portuguese scored his first on seven minutes, converting a cross from Anthony Elanga, who had nicked the ball off Ben Gibson.

Ronaldo doubled United’s lead after 32 minutes, heading in Alex Telles’s corner. But Kieran Dowell’s header from a Teemu Pukki cross reduced the arrears in first-half added time.

Dowell then turned provider to Pukki with a sublime reverse pass to allow the Finn slot home Norwich’s equaliser seven minutes after half-time.

Norwich were denied a third by David De Gea’s superb save from Milot Rashica’s shot.

Ronaldo completed his hat-trick to secure the points with a fierce free-kick 14 minutes from time.

Man Utd’s first win in three matches takes them above Arsenal to fifth with 54 points. Norwich remain bottom on 21 points, seven from safety with six matches remaining.