Wayne Rooney tries to control the ball in an EPL match against Aston Villa, at Old Trafford, on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

London: Wayne Rooney rediscovered his goal-scoring touch at last to demonstrate why Manchester United were able to keep their purse strings tight on transfer-deadline day, while their rivals were splashing the cash with abandon.

Rooney scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa that kept United five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, who have yet to be defeated in the top flight this season, have now equalled their club-record unbeaten run of 29 league games.

With the football world still digesting the deals that took Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50 million and Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35 million, the England striker scored his first two goals from open play at Old Trafford in 11 months as he responded to a timely piece of man-management from Ferguson.

In the match programme, Ferguson admitted Rooney was “lagging behind in the goal stakes” in comparison with “the bucketloads” he scored last season, but said it was more important that Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, who has 20 league goals this term, are now more effective as a partnership.

“If we finish the season with Berbatov scoring 30 and Wayne on 10 — and those are the targets I have in mind - I will be more than happy,” the Scot said.

Nemanja Vidic was United’s other scorer, while Villa’s own expensive January acquisition, Darren Bent, whose eventual fee could rise to £24 million, scored for the visiting team.

Arsenal, in second place, came from going behind to a goal from Louis Saha to beat Everton 2-1, with Andrey Arshavin and Laurent Koscielny on target in the second half.

Chelsea, without Torres, won 4-2 away to Sunderland. Having renewed their ambition off the pitch, Chelsea responded with a vigorous performance at the Stadium of Light, demonstrating rich attacking quality after their pounds 72million outlay on Monday.

The Spain forward was not present after his contentious transfer from Liverpool, instead remaining at the club’s training base at Cobham.

David Luiz, Chelsea’s £20 million purchase from Benfica, flew into the country from Portugal on Tuesday.

While Sunderland, who were unhappy with the performance of Mark Halsey, the referee, took the lead through Phil Bardsley and later equalised from Kieran Richardson's free kick, Chelsea were irrepressible, scoring through a penalty by Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and John Terry.

Nicolas Anelka added his fourteenth goal of the season in the final moments and Branislav Ivanovic and Kalou hit the woodwork.