Cristiano Ronaldo scores another hat-trick to lift Manchester United's top four hopes

By Jack Bantock, CNN

Updated 1041 GMT (1841 HKT) April 17, 2022

Manchester United's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his third goal against Norwich.

(CNN)Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second Premier League hat-trick in three games to fire Manchester United to a 3-2 victory over Norwich at Old Trafford on Saturday, strengthening the club's bid to qualify for the Champions League.

Discussion regarding the Portuguese icon's impact at United has swirled in recent weeks, with the Reds — 20 points adrift of rivals Manchester City — increasingly looking set to miss out on a top four finish that would secure them a place in the Champions League next season.Yet a near-perfect weekend for Ronaldo and United saw top-four competitors Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both suffer defeat, as United move into fifth with six games left.Having fired his 806th career goal en route to a hat-trick against Spurs in March, Ronaldo endured a torrid afternoon at Everton in his next league game after a defeat and an incident involving a young fan's mobile phone.Ronaldo celebrates with his teammates after scoring his third goal.The 37-year-old was on the scoresheet inside five minutes against Norwich, tapping home after teammate Anthony Elanga had dispossessed defender Ben Gibson close to goal.Read MoreHis second goal in the first-half, a trademark headed finish from Alex Telles' corner, looked to have put United in driving seat, but two quick goals either side of half-time from Kieran Dowell and Teemu Pukki once again exposed United's defensive frailties. Both Dowell and Pukki were left in acres of space before converting, as the side sat rooted to the bottom of the table drew level. Ronaldo's hat-trick was his second in