Chicharito and Owen Send United to FA Cup 5th Round

One goal down, a couple of substitutes, and the come back kings have done it again!

The pace and guile of the Portugal winger made a swift impact, and within five minutes he was fashioning a chance which Owen, reacting swiftly, jabbed over the top.

But Owen had discovered his touch. Two minutes later, Obertan struck a deflected cross from the right, the ball reared up and Owen, the born goalscorer, reacted once again, adjusting his body to head the equaliser with powerful authority.

Yet ultimately, Giggs made the real difference, organising midfield with the verve of a colt. It was he who seized on a lapse in 75 minutes, moved to the brink of the Southampton area and slipped a perfectly weighted ball to Hhernandez, who drove his shot with cool awareness.

They had taken their time, but United were now secure. And Ferguson could turn his mind to more important matters than the old silver pot, the one which used to be the very height of everybody’s ambition.

Next up, Crawley! Welcome to Old Trafford.

Red Hot Berbatov to the Rescue. Blackpool 2 Utd 3

Blackpool's Tangerine dream was shattered by one of those famous Manchester United comebacks as Sir Alex Ferguson's men roared back from two goals down to win 3-2 and surge five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

At half-time, on top and two goals up, it appeared Blackpool would end United's unbeaten record and achieve a result that would go down in the history books alongside the `Matthews Final' in 1953.

But those goals from Red Devils old-boy Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell were insufficient to resist United, who were galvanised by Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez.

The Mexican struck the all-important equaliser but once again it was Dimitar Berbatov who did the damage for the rampant Red Devils, tapping home his side's first 19 minutes from time before driving home his 20th goal of the season - and his fifth in four days - to send Sir Alex Ferguson's men five points clear.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Ryan Giggs. Irreplaceable and irrepressible, he retains his ability to embarrass full-backs a generation his junior. Like Scholes, the older he gets, the more important he seems to become.

Stay Top with 5 goals thrashing of Birmingham

With hat-trick hero Dimitar Berbatov leading the way, United were rampant against opponents who are in meltdown ahead of their big Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson's class of 2011 remain unbeaten for the season and on the verge of breaking a proud record established by their 1999 Treble winners.

Berbatov has scored 10 goals in his last four league games at Old Trafford. And his third hat-trick of the season was always on the cards once Birmingham's defenders went to sleep from a corner after 95 seconds.

As Ferguson said: 'Berbatov was marvellous and could have scored more. We were a bit wasteful at times but we can't complain with the scoreline. It helps the goal difference. We have some tough games ahead but hopefully the players can grasp the nettle.'

The killer goal arrived on the stroke of half-time and involved lovely build-up work between Rooney and Berbatov before the England man swept a low cross for 37-year-old Giggs to score.

'It was an exciting goal, great interchange play,' said Ferguson.

Majestic Defense Earns Precious Point v Spurs

Red-faced: Rafael Da Silva (centre) reacts as he is shown his second yellow card by referee Mike Dean

Vidic and Rio were simply superb in the defense against Spurs in White Hart Lane to earn United a precious point and stay on top of the Premier League.

The match tells us just how close Spurs are getting to the same level as United... or rather, United has slipped down one level. Spurs were all over the place and could have won it if not for the majestic defense displayed by MU.

Sloppy FA Cup Tie saw 'king' Kenny Off

After 32 seconds Kenny Dalglish was reminded what a frustrating game this can be. After 32 minutes he must have been longing for that cruise ship; the chance to be back in a marina with wife Marina.

This was a tough re-introduction to the world Dalglish has been away from for more than 12 years.

Not enough to make his head explode but not far off given the dubious nature of the penalty that secured victory for Manchester United and the reckless nature of the challenge that then led to the dismissal of Steven Gerrard.

Nani scorcher nets narrow win against Stroke

Another performance to sum up Manchester United’s season. Not particularly good, but good enough. As Sir Alex Ferguson’s team emerge from a busy holiday schedule, they have every reason to pleased.

They sit at the top of the Barclays Premier League and the gap continues to widen. Imagine what would happen, though, if they ever played consistently well.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Javier Hernandez - A second goal in as many games showed the sharpness of the Mexican. With neither Dimitar Berbatov nor Wayne Rooney proving consistent in a campaign where the Bulgarian has offered rather more than the Englishman, Hernandez is emerging as an excellent option.

MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: The merit of many of their squad players can be debated but this was an occasion when Ferguson rotated successfully. He made six changes, with the injured Wayne Rooney, Anderson and Rio Ferdinand spared for Liverpool's visit in the FA Cup. Chris Smalling was "magnificent", according to his manager, on his first league start for the club, to further the impression he has displaced Jonny Evans in the pecking order. However, Darron Gibson was a colourless presence in midfield and the lesser-spotted Michael Owen's first appearance for three months was forgettable.

WBA 1 - 2 United - Good Fortune

Lucky escape for United. This is the match that tells us Gary Neville needs to retire.

United were able to come away with 3 points away from Old Trafford for only the second time this season in the Barclay's Premier League. However, most who watched the match would rightfully argue that WBA were the better side at The Hawthorns. Aside from the wonder strike from James Morrison, West Brom couldn't find enough creative force, nor fortune to capitalize on their superior play. Much of the focus will undoubtedly be on the poor play of Gary Neville, and how referee Chris Foy inexplicably didn't award a penalty and send off Neville after his cynical challenge to Graham Dorrans in the penalty area.

However, the poor overall play by United, most specifically in their midfield, is the concern United supporters should have after this match. The one positive is that finding a way to grind out 3 points after such a lastluster performance is the type of result that goes a long way in a title chase. After Wayne Rooney scored his first goal in open play since March 2010 and another late in the match strike from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, United still find themselves atop the table.