Wayne Rooney continued the best goalscoring run of his career last night as Manchester United joined Arsenal in progressing to the Champions League knockout stages with two matches to spare, but said that he and his teammates had felt “frustrated and bored” during their 4-0 victory at Old Trafford over a Dynamo Kiev side intent only on damage limitation.

While Chelsea and, in particular, Liverpool have plenty of work to do to reach the last 16, the Barclays Premier League’s top two are free to focus on their title challenge until the European campaign resumes in earnest in February. But not even a ninth goal in as many outings for United and England could satisfy Rooney.

“They were negative and didn’t want to play,” Rooney said of Kiev. “It spoilt the game. We were getting frustrated and bored as a team because it was just like a training session. They just came here to be negative. I didn’t really enjoy playing tonight, but we’re delighted we’re through and maybe we can rest a few players in the next few games to make sure we’re all right for the later stages.”

United won with goals from Gerard Piqué, Carlos Tévez, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo to maintain their 100 per cent record in group F and take their tally in their past six matches to 22 goals, although it needed a late equaliser for AS Roma away to Sporting Lisbon to guarantee qualification. It was much the more impressive performance by the English clubs. Arsenal could manage only a goalless draw away to Slavia Prague, but Arsène Wenger was satisfied with a result that confirmed their passage from group H, having fielded an inexperienced team featuring eight changes from the starting XI that drew 2-2 with United on Saturday.

“The result is quite positive because we qualified and we did not concede a goal,” the Arsenal manager said. “We came here to qualify. The defensive performance was good, the offensive performance was average. The conditions were difficult and Slavia defended very well. They felt humiliated [after the 7-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago] and were determined not to concede.”

Rangers still have hopes of joining Arsenal and United – the first teams to qualify – in the knockout phase, but after Thierry Henry had opened the scoring in a 2-0 defeat away to Barcelona, Walter Smith’s team face a three-way fight with the Spanish giants and Lyons for the two qualifying places in group E.

Henry’s goal appeared to strike the former Arsenal forward’s arm, but Smith had no complaints. “If he puts it in with his hand, we have to accept it,” the Rangers manager said. “We’ll look at ourselves first.”

On what always promised to be a comfortable evening for United, the first goal came from Piqué, the 20-year-old Spanish defender who is eager to stake his claim for a first-team place at Old Trafford after spending last season on loan to Real Zaragoza. His header in the 31st minute was followed by a goal from Tévez, his fifth of the season, after another impressive link-up with Rooney.

Rooney and Ronaldo added a little gloss to the scoreline with well-taken goals in the final quarter.

With Edwin van der Sar, the goal-keeper, replaced at half-time because of a foot injury and Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs absent, Rooney might have expected to be given the captain’s armband in the second half, but that honour went to Nemanja Vidic, possibly as a reward for his loyalty. The Serbia defender is close to signing a new long-term contract that will improve his wages to more than £50,000 a week.