More to come from Kiko ...

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Federico Macheda has "something special", while the young Italian striker's team-mates have accepted he is now a genuine option up front.

Rome-born Macheda clearly has an eye for the spectacular. Having come off the bench to score a stunning winner on his debut against Aston Villa, he followed it up with an instinctive touch to provide a 2-1 victory at Sunderland.

"He has got something special about him, the boy," admitted Sir Alex. "He's just got that instinct that goalscorers have. He has good movement and he's quick.

"He isn't fazed by anything, and he got involved as soon as he came on, he had a really good 20 minutes for us."

'Kiko' may still be in his teens, but Macheda offers a real threat as back-up to United's regular forwards.

"It's great to be able to bring on a young lad like that," says Scholes. "He scored with his first or second touch, he looks like a great goalscorer and there's hopefully more to come from him."

Reds goalkeeper Ben Foster likes the confidence Macheda has shown. "It's a fantastic story," he said. "It was an unbelievable goal last week and he’s done it again.

"He’s saying it was a deft touch into the corner but I don’t think many of the lads are believing him!

"But I'm really pleased for him. He’s thoroughly deserving of his chance because he's been doing it in the Reserves all season."

From relative unknown to overnight hero, it's a lot of attention to be heaped on his young shoulders. But he is an assured and confident young man and has the right people with the right intentions surrounding him.

"I think the players will help there," adds Sir Alex. "I had a chat with his family this week, so he'll be ok I'm sure."

"He's quite a level-headed lad, actually," adds Foster. "I don’t think any of the lads will let him get carried away – Gary Neville puts his foot down with anything like that."

Staying grounded

"He's quite a level-headed lad. I don’t think any of the lads will let him get carried away – Gary Neville puts his foot down with anything like that."

- Ben Foster

Sunderland 1 Manchester United 2

... Kiko Macheda again ...

A week ago, few outside of Old Trafford had heard of Kiko Macheda. After two vital winners in the space of six days, however, the 17-year-old Italian has been catapulted into a starring role in United's ongoing Premier League title defence.

While last Sunday's winner against Aston Villa was a piece of last-gasp artistry, this input at the Stadium of Light had a touch of fortune about it, but it was still enough to procure three priceless points after Kenwyne Jones had cancelled out Paul Scholes' opener.

Three points was all the Reds deserved, it has to be said, for a performance which was occasionally slapdash, but largely dominant against a Sunderland side severely lacking in confidence after a poor recent run of form.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a host of changes to the side which contested Tuesday's pulsating draw with Porto, with the return of Jonny Evans and Dimitar Berbatov from injury providing a welcome boost. Cristiano Ronaldo, involved in 20 or the Reds' previous 22 games this year, dropped to the bench for a well-earned rest. Scholes was included alongside Michael Carrick in midfield, and the veteran schemer ensured United were ahead by the interval.

Only a heroic block from Calum Davenport stopped the midfielder's 20-yard blockbuster testing Craig Gordon after nine minutes. Shortly afterwards, Scholes again found space in the area but opted to find Rooney, whose cross sailed over.

Djibril Cisse saw his shot deflected over as the hosts briefly rallied, but United looked by far the more likely to make the breakthrough. A minute later, Nemanja Vidic powered Rooney's corner goalwards, only for Danny Collins to scuff the ball off the line. From the ensuing scramble, the Serb sent an acrobatic overhead kick a yard wide of Gordon's goal.

The Reds weren't to be denied for long, however, and Scholes opened the scoring after 19 minutes. Berbatov held the ball up superbly before feeding Rooney, and his left-wing cross was clinically helped into the top corner by the experienced head of the diminutive midfield magician.

That took Scholes' career haul to 98 Premier League goals, but of far greater importance was laying the foundations for United to chalk up another three points. Having surrendered leads against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Porto with varying degrees of consequence in recent weeks, the need for a second goal was immediately apparent.

Plenty of possession ensued for United, but with few chances to show for their dominance. Inevitably, one or two jittery moments would follow as Sunderland grew in confidence; Djibril Cisse saw a shot palmed over by Foster and Jones headed straight at the England international, but the greatest scare came from a man in a red shirt.

Carlos Edwards shifted space away from Vidic before drilling in a cross from the right wing, and Evans could only watch and hope as the ball deflected off his shin, against Foster's far post and out to safety. Ji-sung Park then flashed an effort fractionally over Gordon's top corner, but United's interval lead remained a precarious one.

Within moments of the restart, Rooney thundered a magnificent 25-yard effort just past the top corner. The Reds would shortly be ruing that missed opportunity, and the concession of another sloppy goal. Tainio did well to fashion space down the left, and Foster failed to reach his teasing cross - giving Jones the chance to cushion and convert from close range.

The inevitable disappointment was scarcely tangible in United's approach, however. Scholes was within inches of restoring the champions' lead as his 20-yard snapshot arced agonisingly wide, while Tevez was thwarted by a combination of Gordon and his desperate defenders.

As time wore on, Ferguson decided to shuffle his pack with the introduction of Ronaldo and, shortly afterwards, Macheda at the expense of Park and Berbatov. Within a minute, the Italian had made another stunning impact.

Carrick's errant shot was heading wide as it entered a muddled cluster of home and away players, but spun away from Gordon and into the corner of the goal via Macheda's left instep. Deliberate or not - and he, a striker by trade, will tell you that it was - United had re-assumed a vital lead.

The goal took the wind out of Sunderland's sails. United, in desperate need of the three points to again overhaul Liverpool at the top of the table, clung on for grim life, seeing out the final 15 minutes in relative comfort - albeit with breath held, peeping between fingers for those packed into the away end.

Another nerve-wracking 90 minutes down, another three points. Watching United just wouldn't be the same without going through the wringer.