Manchester United took another step towards a place in next season’s Champions League following a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

Marouane Fellaini gave United the lead on nine minutes before Michael Carrick doubled his side’s lead 10 minutes later.

Wayne Rooney capped a fine first-half performance from the Reds when he put his side 3-0 up on 34 minutes.

Following a run of 17 wins and no defeats in 22 Premier League matches against Spurs, United went into the game having won none of the last five games.

And with next season’s Champions League places still to be decided it was United who looked the more nervy in the opening exchanges as Spurs pressed a high up the pitch.

Phil Jones was guilty of a poor back pass that resulted in David de Gea putting the ball out for a corner which, despite some frantic defending, came to nothing. 

But it was the home side that took the lead inside 10 minutes through Fellaini. Former Spurs player Carrick’s through ball found the Belgian who beat Hugo Lloris with a low left-footed effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

And Louis van Gaal’s side were two up soon after when Fellaini’s goal-bound effort from a Juan Mata corner was cleared to Carrick who headed home from 12 yards.

The Sunday morning papers led with a story showing a video of Rooney allegedly being knocked out by Stoke defender Phil Bardsley while boxing in the kitchen of the United captain.

So it seemed almost inevitable that Rooney would celebrate by punching the air before falling to the ground after putting his side 3-0 up just after the half-hour mark, the striker slotting the ball past Lloris after a good run from deep inside the Spurs half.

Having failed to register single effort on goal in the first period, Lilywhites substitute Mousa Dembele, who came on for the ineffective Andros Townsend in the first-half, had their best chance of the game but his effort flew high and wide of goal.

The Premier League Player of the Month Harry Kane, who had a disappointing afternoon in front of England manager Roy Hodgson, had a good chance to in the dying embers of the game but his shot was saved by the feet of De Gea.