Manchester United leapfrogged rivals City to go top of the Premier League table on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 win over Sunderland.
Wayne Rooney ended his run of 1,000 minutes without a league goal when he scored just after the interval after brilliant play from Anthony Martial.
United controlled the early stages of the contest, dominating the ball, keeping possession in their half and dictating the tempo of the play, pushing Sunderland back and pilling the pressure on the league’s worst side thus far.
United pressed and pushed for an opener for little reward and come the half-hour mark there was still no goals. David de Gea did well to save a Jeremain Lens shot after his side’s defence slumbered.
In the late stages of the first half, a penetrating 35-yard pass from Daley Blind saw Juan Mata latch onto it, cutting back across goal, allowing an easy tap-in for Memphis Depay.
The home side started the same way it finished the first. Martial shrugged off a couple of defenders and cut the ball back across the six-yard box for Rooney to finish off on 46 minutes.
Sunderland had a few chances to get back into the game. Yann M’Vila went close with a free kick, as did Patrick van Anholtfrom open play.
From then on it was all United and in the dying stages of the match, an Ashley Young cross fell straight to the feet of Mata at the back post where he brilliantly placed the ball in the roof of the net with one touch.
Van Gaals’s men moved to the top of the Premier League table on 16 points while Sunderland remained bottom of the table on two points.
Premier League goal droughts ended today: Harry Kane (640 minutes) ✔ Alexis Sanchez (873 minutes) ✔ Wayne Rooney (999 minutes) ✔
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 26, 2015
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