Manchester United's big name players delivered the goods as they moved to within three points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with a scintillating 5-1 win at St. James' Park.

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals apiece and Louis Saha added a fifth in stoppage time as United took full advantage of the Gunners' 2-2 slip-up at Birmingham earlier in the day.

Newcastle got a consolation from Abdoulaye Faye while 3-0 down but they continue their dangerous slide towards the relegation zone as they remain winless since Kevin Keegan returned to the club.

The home faithful arrived with pleasant memories of the famous 5-0 victory over the Red Devils back in 1996, but this Keegan side is a long way from being in the same class as the outfit that destroyed United that day.

Instead, all the class on show was in the United side with Newcastle's endeavour and work-rate being no match for the clinical brilliance of the visitors.

The Magpies scrapped and fought in the opening 20 minutes with James Milner causing problems down the right and Michael Owen doing his best to make a nuisance of himself in the box but United took the fizz out of their performance when they took the lead in the 25th minute.

It was Rooney who sidefooted home from close range as he reacted quicker than the sluggish Charles N'Zogbia to get on the end of Ronaldo's brilliant cross.

Only being one goal down was enough to keep the home fans enthusiastic but the vast majority of the ground was sent into deathly silence when Ronaldo doubled the advantage just before the break.

It was a simple goal as Michael Carrick split the defence with a superb ball which allowed the Portuguese international to race in from the left before calmly placing a low right-foot effort past Shay Given.

Damien Duff had an early chance for Newcastle in the second-half but then awful defending from Faye allowed Darren Fletcher to again put Ronaldo in the clear.

Steve Harper had come on for the injured Shay Given at half-time, but he was outwitted by Ronaldo who coolly rounded the sub keeper before stroking home his 29th goal of the season.

United, who thrashed a then managerless Newcastle 6-0 last month, then showed the Magpies some mercy by taking Ronaldo off in the 67th minute.

However, when Faye had the cheek to hammer home Andy Carroll's header from a corner for a consolation 11 minutes from time, United responded by going up the other end and scoring a fourth.

It was Rooney who got it, and it proved to be the goal of the match, as he curled home a sweet drive from the edge of the area after a poor clearance from Alan Smith.

Both van der Sar and Harper made a couple of smart saves at either end too, but the depressing reality for Newcastle is that the final scoreline was only given a fair gloss when Rooney set up Saha for a fifth in stoppage time.

At the full-time whistle the tannoy played Keane's song "Everything Changes" and for the Newcastle fans still pining for 1996 it must have seemed painfully apt.

Seán Fay / Eurosport