Manchester United, if potentially only for a day, have eked out breathing space at the top. The reigning champions succeeded where Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool had been frustrated this season and defeated Blackburn Rovers, stubborn and awkward opponents, yesterday to move three points clear at the summit. They were not at their fluent best here but the result will serve as a statement of intent.
This is clearly a side than can still flourish without Wayne Rooney, who is out for a month with ankle damage. Cristiano Ronaldo provided the bite more normally demanded of the England forward, taking his season's goal tally into double figures, to shrug the hosts out of their initial lethargy. There had been times in the opening half hour when Rovers, all strength and aggression, appeared to be undermining the hosts' soaring confidence. Christopher Samba had thumped against the bar from distance and United, briefly, appeared fallible.
Then came the riposte, delivered by Ronaldo within a frantic minute to settle the contest and deflate Blackburn's optimism. A free header from the excellent Ryan Giggs' corner, the ball skimming in off David Bentley's scalp as he leapt on the goal-line, eased United ahead and calmed the jitters. Rovers were still panicked when a rat-a-tat of home passes sent Carlos Tevez scurrying down the inside-left channel with his centre steered low across and beyond Brad Friedel by the galloping Portuguese. There is no stopping Ronaldo in this form. Rooney may be missed more by his country than he is by his club.
The winger has scored 10 times in 15 United appearances this term, a record which suggests that Ferguson's pre-season demand that he improve on last season's tally of 23 may not be fanciful. The header was powerful and true, Ronaldo benefiting from Aaron Mokoena's failure to leap and compete for the cross. The pace and accuracy with which Nemanja Vidic, Louis Saha and Tevez combined to set up the second could not be stifled. Ferguson described them as "marvellous" and "stunning" goals. Blackburn, one of the Premier League teams of the moment, could not contain such effervesence.
The Telegraph
A match made by Cristiano Ronaldo as a spectacle in the first half was then ruined by Chris Foy as a spectacle in the second half. When the referee sent off David Dunn for two innocuous offences, any hope Blackburn Rovers harboured of a comeback disappeared down the tunnel with the unfortunate midfielder.
As Dunn headed disconsolately towards the dressing-room, enduring the jibes and gesticulations of the home fans, Ronaldo and the champions were heading back to the top of the Premier League. Arsenal may reclaim the high ground at Reading tonight, but what United really showed against good opponents here is that, even without Wayne Rooney, they boast class from back to front.
"They have strength, power and pace which, allied with outstanding skill, makes them very difficult to overcome," said the Rovers manager, Mark Hughes, of his former team. Ronaldo embodied all these qualities, and an aerial menace as well. A header from a corner and then a low shot made it seven goals in seven games for United's No7.
After an uninspiring, suspension-hit start to the season, the winger is now really flying, a tally of 10 for the term reflecting his influence. With Sir Alex Ferguson using a 4-2-3-1 formation, Ronaldo featured all over the attacking third, starting on the right but finishing up swaggering through the middle. Ronaldo is a one-man variety show.
United enjoyed good performances all over the park. The ball seems to have a magnetic attraction to Nemanja Vidic's head and nearly every Rovers cross was met by the tall Serb. Vidic has brought a real stubborn streak to United's defence - and the best out of Rio Ferdinand.
In front of Ferdinand and Vidic, Owen Hargreaves anchored superbly, still finding time to slip upfield. So did Anderson, Ferguson's other holding midfielder. The Brazilian was again outstanding, all velvety touch and steely relish for a tackle.
Anderson has been presented with his chance in the absence of Paul Scholes, whose knee operation was pronounced "100 per cent successful" by Ferguson yesterday. "He will be back, refreshed and eager, in January," United's manager wrote in his programme notes.
Another evergreen Red, Ryan Giggs, rolled back the years, and a few markers, with some great moves. At one magical point in the second half, the 34-year-old swayed with the elasticity of a teenager past Benni McCarthy and Aaron Mokoena before being hauled down by Ryan Nelsen. Giggs then went round David Bentley twice; one more and he would have got to keep the Rovers winger. Old Trafford roared its admiration.
So did an illustrious alumnus. "I played with Ryan and I know what a good player he is," said Hughes. "He has made his mark on the football world and I hope he gets the [United] appearance record [held by Sir Bobby Charlton]."
The Times
Cristiano Ronaldo's double pole-axed 10-man Blackburn Rovers as Manchester United made light of Wayne Rooney's absence and surged to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 victory
Rovers coped well with the dismissal of David Dunn but could only stand and admire as Ronaldo scored twice in two first-half minutes, powering home Ryan Giggs' corner before finishing off Carlos Tevez's magnificent square pass.
Although Ronaldo failed to complete his first United hat-trick, the double strike took him to 10 for the season and provided his team with their ninth win in 10 matches.
That run that does not seem likely to be tested by Bolton, Fulham and Derby, their next three opponents, as the pressure starts to build in the championship race.
Certainly a capacity crowd could not help but be impressed by Blackburn's early efforts.
With Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz mobile up front, the returning Aaron Mokoena biting into tackles in midfield and David Bentley providing a constant threat out wide, Rovers could easily have been ahead before Ronaldo sent them to the floor.
The nearest they came was when Christopher Samba belted a shot against Edwin van der Sar's left-hand post, with the Dutchman totally beaten.
United were left to complain at referee Chris Foy's failure to spot Dunn's foul on Ronaldo on the edge of the Blackburn box which offered Samba his opportunity.
However, given the way Hughes spent the final 15 minutes of the opening period shaking his head in disbelief at the number of borderline decisions that went against his side, he would not have been impressed at the hosts moans.
And by half-time, Hughes had plenty to occupy his mind too.
Having won the corner initially with a shot that flicked off Dunn, Ronaldo rose highest to meet Giggs' set piece and this time Bentley, who had already hacked one shot off the line from the Portugal winger, could not keep it out
Within sixty seconds, Blackburn were two down, unable to withstand the sheer pace of United's brutal counter-attack. Once Brett Emerton had been unable to do any more than nod Rio Ferdinand's clearance straight up in the air, Rovers were doomed.
Louis Saha, on his first Premier League start since February and a man with much responsibility on his shoulders in Rooney's absence, was onto the loose ball in a flash, prodding it to Tevez who tore into the Blackburn half.
Saha kept motoring but it was Ronaldo to his right who received the perfect pass Tevez delivered with the outside of his right boot. Brad Friedel did his best to deny the wide-man but ultimately he failed.
If Hughes was unhappy before half-time, he was positively fuming seven minutes after the restart when his side were reduced to 10 men by Dunn's dismissal.
Dunn's exit effectively ended any hope of Blackburn preserving their unbeaten away record, although they remained determined enough to prevent United adding to their tally.