Manchester United 4-0 Everton: Antonio Valencia fires screamer before Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial score to seals points

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That is the fourth time this season. The fourth time in five games that Manchester United have used the last 10 minutes to accelerate away.

They scored twice in that period against West Ham, three times against Swansea, once against Leicester - and three on Sunday against Everton. It was a spree that took them level with Manchester City at the top of the table, and sent Everton into the relegation zone.

If it was not a fair reflection of the match, it most certainly confirmed the likely make up of the title race. The Manchester clubs, three points clear after five games, look capable of pulling away. We may yet get that promised Pep Guardiola-Jose Mourinho duel - just a year later than advertised. 

Manchester United took the lead with a truly superb strike from Antonio Valencia giving Jordan Pickford absolutely no chance

Valencia kept his eye on the ball all the way and unleashed an unstoppable half-volley which flew past Pickford on Sunday

The United players celebrate taking an early lead during a period of torrential downpour in the opening five minutes

Henrikh Mkhitaryan slots his shot beyond Pickford to make it 2-0 after 83 minutes following Ashley Williams' mistake

Romelu Lukaku had a quiet game but scored from close range at the far post as United ran riot in the final 10 minutes

Anthony Martial strokes in United's fourth from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Morgan Schneiderlin handled the ball

And already the contrasting styles intrigue. The Manchester clubs may be identical in terms of goal difference and goals scored, but they have achieved their 16-2 margins in quite different ways. At Watford on Saturday, City started like an express train. United prefer to grown into a game. 

At first, on Sunday, it appeared they could run up a similar score to City at Vicarage Road, but they do their damage late. Having exhausted opponents with their physicality they then bring on what Claudio Ranieri would have called the RAF - the flying machines. 

Manchester United up the tempo just when the opposition is leggy and vulnerable. Everton thought they still had a sniff of a 1-1 draw in the 82nd minute – 10 minutes later they were 4-0 down.

What is undoubted is that Mourinho's United are a significant upgrade on that left to him by Louis van Gaal, in terms of potential and attacking intent. They may not quite have the abandon and ambition of Guardiola's City, but that shouldn't be considered criticism.

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE & MATCH ZONE

MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Valencia 7, Bailly 6.5, Jones 7, Young 6.5; Fellaini 6.5, Matic 8; Mata 6.5 (Herrera 77), Mkhitaryan 7 (Martial 88), Rashford 6 (Lingard 60); Lukaku 7.5.

SUBS NOT USED: Smalling, Carrick, Romero, Darmian

BOOKED: Bailly

MANAGER: Jose Mourinho 7 

GOALS: Valencia 4, Mkhitaryan 83, Lukaku 89, Martial (pen 92) 

EVERTON (3-4-2-1): Pickford 5.5; Keane 5, Jagielka 6.5, Williams 5.5; Martina 6, Schneiderlin 6, Gueye 5 (Calvert-Lewin 76), Baines 5.5; Davies 5 (Sandro 66), Sigurdsson 5; Rooney 6.5 (Mirallas 81).

SUBS NOT USED: Klaassen, Besic, Stekelenburg, Holgate

BOOKED: Williams 

MANAGER: Ronald Koeman 5 

REFEREE: Andre Marriner 

STAR MAN: Nemanja Matic 

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Antonio Valencia scored a brilliant opener after four minutes - More match facts, graphics and info HERE

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Wayne Rooney made his first appearance as an opposition player at Old Trafford in 13 years and he played as the lone striker

Rooney went close to equalising as he was found free on the edge of the box by Cuco Martina but he dragged his shot wide

Everton were punished for starting the game too defensively as the defence dropped deep allowing Valencia space to score

Eric Bailly celebrates with the United captain after Jose Mourinho's side made a blistering start to the contest at Old Trafford

Rooney speaks to Phil Jones during the first half in which the Blues grew in confidence and had chances to equalise

Tom Davies stoops to get his header in at goal but Michael Oliver's assistant ruled the midfielder was marginally offside

Davies protests over the decision to have his effort ruled offside with Rooney stroking in the rebound after the whistle blew

Mourinho runs a tight ship, and doesn't take as many chances, but this may enable United to utilise a long-term risk-averse strategy that is beyond their neighbours. They may be less vulnerable at crucial moments, too; we shall see.

What is plain is that it was too much for Everton as a package. Before Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored Manchester United's second in the 83rd minute, Everton manager Ronald Koeman was probably thinking his team had done enough to merit a draw. Certainly they had responded well to going behind after four minutes. 

Having lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday, it was a horrible start and, at first, Everton looked troubled. With more than 10 minutes gone, they had not touched the ball in the Manchester United half. One touch had come on the halfway line. It was the kick-off after Antonio Valencia's opening goal.

And what a goal it was - one destined to feature in any end of season highlights reel, no matter where United finish. Nemanja Matic played a crossfield ball, from left to right, finding Valencia outside the penalty area. With space ahead, he struck the ball first time, a mighty shot that flew past Jordan Pickford into the top corner of the net.

Lukaku missed a glorious chance to double United's lead after a mistake from Michael Keane but he fired wide

Lukaku shrugged off Ashley Williams and looked set to score but he curled his shot a yard wide of the right-hand post

England manager Gareth Southgate and Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd (to his left) were in the stands for the league clash

Rooney looked to reverse his shot hoping to find the corner but he could only fire it to the right of David de Gea's goal

Everton persevered with Gylfi Sigurdsson in midfield despite the Icelandic's poor start since his club-record move

Reinvented as a full back, it is often forgotten that Valencia arrived when Cristiano Ronaldo left, not a direct replacement, but certainly occupying what once was his role on the right. Sadly, he's no goalscorer in the CR7 class. This was only his second in the league since Boxing Day, 2011. Still, it was more than worth the wait.

Yet, from there, Everton held firm. United had lots of possession, plenty of threat - but little in the way of clear chances. When they did come close after 26 minutes, it was a loose ball by Michael Keane that teed it up. He made a hash of a simple, square pass that failed to reach Morgan Schneiderlin and was picked off instead by Juan Mata. 

He slipped it through to Lukaku who, with only Pickford to beat, hit his finish wide of the left post. The cheers from the visiting end were loud and mocking. Little beats seeing the player who rejected you and moved on up making an absolute fool of himself.

Lukaku was denied by a great Phil Jagielka tackle, while poor finishing from substitute Jesse Lingard saw two shots fly over the bar, but for much of the match Everton gave as good as they got. In the second half, David de Gea was arguably the busier goalkeeper, saving from Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Yet Everton have a problem. They lack pace around the final third. Rooney was a furiously hard worker, and contributed as much as anyone to Everton's spirited challenge. Sadly, he no longer has the pace that truly unnerves the best defenders, and neither do Everton. 

If they had a fault it was that they had no-one capable of hitting top gear. United bought Everton's best goalscorer in Lukaku, and sold them a reserve by way of replacement. Koeman's team lacks firepower to deliver and it told. In all competitions, they have now gone six hours and 44 minutes without a goal. How Koeman must envy the blitzkrieg capability Mourinho has at United. 

Everton manager Ronald Koeman instructs his players to press further forward as they looked to respond to the poor start

Lukaku had the goal at his mercy as he sprung into life in the final 10 minutes to provide a goal and an assist for his side

Lukaku cupped his hand to his ear in front of the travelling Everton fans before jumping for joy following his close-range goal

Martial won his penalty, after twisting inside Morgan Schneiderlin, and he duly sent Pickford the wrong way to score

To be fair, at least Rooney was spared the humiliation of the final three goals. Already forced to appear with Everton's new sponsor, Angry Birds emblazoned on his sleeve - surely he gets enough of them at home - to have gone down 4-0 on his return to Old Trafford would have been too much. As it was Rooney was withdrawn to a very warm reception on 82 minutes, and in the 83rd the roof fell in.

The late collapse began with an error from Ashley Williams, pounced on by Lukaku and fed to Mkhitaryan following up on the left at speed. Lukaku's pass picked him out, Mkhitaryan finished confidently and the game belonged to United.

So while what happened next gave the match a scoreline it did not deserve, it was one that is vital if United are to keep pace with City this season. Full credit to them for continuing to push, too, and to Lukaku for continuing to get among the goals. 

It was a long wait here - the 89th minute - but he eventually found a way, snatching at a loose ball bobbling around the area and then, to his credit, eschewing the niceties, right down to cupping an ear to the Evertonians who had jeered that first-half miss. No decorum here, just as it should be. And at that moment, Everton and West Ham switched places, the Londoners emerging from the bottom three on goal difference, Everton falling.

The fourth came from the penalty spot, after a Morgan Schneiderlin handball. Showing his former team-mate no mercy, Anthony Martial took it with his new found confidence and slotted past Pickford. Manchester City are top, technically, on alphabetical order. Manchester Athletic? That lot from Newton Heath missed a trick there, it seems.

Morgan Schneiderlin slides in on Mkhitaryan as the midfielder returned to face his former club at Old Trafford

De Gea gets down to deny Rooney from point-blank range after the former United striker had won the ball back in the box

Sigurdsson was next to be denied by De Gea from close range as he nipped in to poke a shot away from six yards out

A rainbow hangs over the stadium following the shower at the start of the contest during an evenly contested encounter