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.
Darren Fletcher was only fit enough for a spot on the bench and Paul Scholes out of the matchday squad all together. Anderson and Michael Carrick were drafted into central midfield.
Rovers manager Sam Allardyce was dealt a blow after November scoring machine Morten Gamst Pedersen failed to recover from a hamstring strain. Winter freebie Herold Goulon came in to bolster the starting side, with David Dunn tasked with pulling the strings.
