Rooney FINALLY breaks his duck to lead Man Utd back to the top

The last time Manchester United ended a Premier League weekend at the top of the table, Sir Alex Ferguson was bowing to the support at The Hawthorns before making his way to the tunnel for the 1,500th and last time.

There have been some minor ups and major downs for United in the 28 months since the legendary manager retired from the position with which he remains synonymous, but on Saturday they returned to the summit with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney's was the other notable name being uttered with regularity back in May 2013 as his desire for a move became public, but these days he is the captain and iconic figure of the 20-time champions.

What is more, he is back in the goals after a near-six month drought in the league came to an end shortly after half-time against Dick Advocaat's strugglers. United had edged ahead just before the break when Memphis Depay's side-foot finish ended a move started by fellow Dutchman Daley Blind's wonderful cross-field pass for Juan Mata.

And while Memphis was clearly delighted to get off the mark, no relief was as great as Rooney's when he bundled home the second. It is so often said that strikers struggling for goals would accept one going in off their backside if it meant breaking their duck, and Rooney’s was not far short.

Anthony Martial shifted the ball to the bye-line, crossed from the right and the ball came back off the England striker's knee before striking Sunderland keeper Costel Pantilimon and eventually arriving in the back of the net. That was Rooney's first Premier League goal since April 4, 12 games and almost six months ago. The longer the streak went on, the more the 29-year-old looked to be weighed down by the spotlight.

But returning to the scoresheet was a godsend. The goal was exactly what he needed after an anonymous first-half performance. Like United for long stretches of games this season, the striker has been largely underwhelming. While his performance after the goal did not improve an awful lot, it was clear that he had rid himself of a personal demon.

"That's what we're all playing for," Rooney said afterwards of United's return to the top. "We have to work hard to make sure we stay there." He now has five goals in his last five games, and is captain of the league leaders. Not bad for an out-of-form front man. There is one man in the attacking line who is very much in-form though.

While Rooney has struggled to record a sequence of convincing performances, Mata has quietly gone about the business of transitioning superbly into Louis van Gaal’s way of playing. Although the Spaniard would surely rather be given a more central role than the one he is asked to fulfil on the right of the three men behind Martial, he has nonetheless taken to the task wonderfully.

His late third goal was just reward for a performance of great discipline but also great artistry. While his name appears on the team-sheet as a right-sided player, he drifts just enough to become more involved at the right times without leaving his station unmanned for too long. Van Gaal gets the best of both worlds that way, with Mata becoming a second No.10.

And he keeps scoring too. With 19 goals in under two years as a Manchester United player, the 27-year-old is becoming as prolific a midfielder as there is in the European game. United might not be firing on all cylinders, but with his influence they always stand a chance.

Van Gaal insisted afterwards that he is not too bothered who scores his side's goals, but admitted he was pleased for Rooney all the same. "It doesn't make any difference who scores for me and for the team. You have to score one goal more than the opponent. But as a coach I'm happy that Rooney and Depay have now scored. Personally for them it is important."

Now that Rooney has put the drought behind him, the new most important thing is keeping United at the top of the Premier League. It has been too long a wait for them to immediately squander their position of strength.