Dimitar Berbatov Ends Drought In Style As Stunning Five-Goal Salvo Sends Rampant Red Devils Top

Dimitar Berbatov smashed home five goals to set Manchester United on their way to a 7-1 victory against a beleaguered Blackburn Rovers.

The Bulgarian dramatically ended his 13-hour drought to steal the headlines from a resurgent Wayne Rooney on his first Premier League start since September 26. The result saw United race to the top of the Premier League table before Chelsea face Newcastle United.

United burst out of the traps and took the lead in just the second minute through Berbatov. The Bulgarian poked home from close range from a Rooney flick after he beat Ryan Nelsen in the air.

Allardyce may have felt slightly aggrieved as the chance fell after Nani slid in on goalkeeper Paul Robinson. The ball then bobbled back towards the Portuguese who found Rooney with an inswinging cross.

Nani was firing on all cylinders. After a flamboyant back-heel brought him space on the half-way line, his shot was deflected safely into Robinson's hands.

United - with Rooney and Berbatov in ominous form - now looked dangerous with every attack. Rovers, however, refused to sink into the shadows and tried to give as good as they got.

Goulon was a menace in the middle, but the Frenchman's endeavour went unrewarded as Roberts cut an isolated figure.

Patrice Evra opened the scoring against Wigan Athletic and he went close in the 19th minute with a header from a corner which had been needlessly ceded by Christopher Samba.

A second goal seemed inevitable and Ji-sung Park found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. The Korean played a one-two with Rooney - which nutmegged Samba - and had time and space to beat Robinson from six yards.

Things were soon to turn from bad to worse for Rovers. A slack, unsighted back pass from Chimbonda was pounced upon by Berbatov in the 27th minute to make it 3-0.

In a gambit to stop the match slipping further away, Allardyce swiftly hooked the impressive Goulon to introduce the attacking flair of David Hoilett. Unfortunately for Rovers, the horse had already well and truly bolted from the gate by then.

The change made little effect on the flow of the game. A Nani free-kick drifted narrowly past captain Nemanja Vidic before Rooney saw a chipped pass to Park hammer off Nelsen's chest.

Any fears about the crowd reaction to Rooney disappeared as the support held their breath as the striker seemed to twist his suspect ankle in the 34th minute. He received treatment on the pitch and soldiered on despite Javier Hernandez's warm-up.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men kept the pressure cranked up. Berbatov was denied a first-half hat-trick in injury time as he was felled in the box by Michel Salgado, but referee Lee Probert failed to point to the spot.
 
The touch of genius from Rooney was back once more after it had abandoned him in Munich and South Africa. Rovers simply had no answer to his craft as United roared into their best 45-minute display of the campaign.

United kept Rovers on the rack and made the score 5-0 within minutes of the start of the second-half.
Berbatov completed his hat-trick on 47 minutes in glorious fashion. The Bulgarian picked up the ball on the edge of his own area and made light of accusations of laziness as he drove to the half-way line.

His inch-perfect pass found Nani. The winger then repaid the favour to see Berbatov sweep past Robinson.
Nani then finally got the goal his superb performance deserved a minute later. The Portuguese twisted Chimbona inside and out before he curled his effort into the right corner.

The irrepressible Nani almost gave the Theatre of Dreams what it wanted in the 55th minute, but his pass to Rooney was blocked by Salgado.

Berbatov was to only be temporarily out of the spotlight. He soon added goals four and five to make the score 7-0.

In the 62nd minute, another quick fire move saw a Park shot blocked by Samba. The deflected effort fell invitingly into his path and was ruthlessly slammed home.

The Bulgarian's afternoon to remember continued in the 70th minute when he was slipped in by Anderson. After his effort was intercepted by Nelsen, he kept his composure to fire the ball in past Robinson.

United toyed with their dismal opponents with Anderson in fine fettle in the middle. Indeed, it took until the 80^th minute for Samba to meekly head into Edwin van der Sar’s arms for their first chance.

The giant centre-back wasn’t to be denied and in the 83^rd minute he headed in debutant Josh Morris’ cross to add a dash of gloss to the score line.

A Rooney cross then found Berbatov in the 88^th minute but the on-song centre forward was denied a remarkable sixth by Robinson.

Upon the final whistle, both United and Berbatov had put in the perfect performance to further unsettle early pacesetters Chelsea.