Red Devils hit peak form

Not since the days of Billy Meredith in 1907 had the Red Devils scored four in four successive games, but, after accounting for Wigan, Aston Villa and Dynamo Kiev, Sir Alex Ferguson's free-scoring champions did it again to pile the pressure on Arsenal ahead of their visit to Liverpool.

Ferguson might have thought his side would be in for a tough afternoon once Jeremie Aliadiere had levelled Nani's spectacular opener, however, Wayne Rooney profited from Stewart Downing's blunder to put the hosts in front before the break and Carlos Tevez finished the Teessiders off with a second-half double.

For once, Ronaldo was not hogging the headlines either, as United's 'other' Portugal winger took centre stage. Nani had already accounted for Tottenham earlier this season with one blockbuster. Yet even that memorable effort was eclipsed by his latest piledriver.

Taking up possession on halfway, Nani just seemed to amble into the space offered by Boro's backpedalling defence. Thirty yards out, he let fly with an unstoppable shot which flew over Mark Schwarzer and dipped under the crossbar.

Nani's gymnastic celebration was as amazing as the goal and if Tevez had been able to beat Schwarzer with an audacious chip after being released by Ronaldo shortly afterwards, United would have been doing handstands.

Instead, Tevez failed and Aliadiere promptly exposed previously unseen slackness in United's defence, arriving with perfect timing between Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to nod home Tuncay's cross. It was the first league goal United had conceded at Old Trafford this season and the first Premier League goal Aliadiere had scored for five years.

However, any team hoping to gain reward from a trip to Old Trafford simply cannot afford the kind of unnecessary blunder Downing made as he dwelled in possession inside his own area and allowed Nani to toe a pass to Rooney which the gleeful striker smashed home.

The third came when Tevez cushioned Anderson's pass into Rooney's path, then strode forward to finish in clinical fashion after the England man had returned possession with an inspired back-heel.

There could have been no-one left in the stadium, or anywhere else probably, who believes United's twin strikeforce are incapable of playing with each other and when they combined again soon after to make it four the points were wrapped up.