With a degree of ease, that sometimes bordered on the embarrassing, Manchester United's sweet start to the defence of their Premiership title continued unchecked on Merseyside last night.

Indeed, it was with no discernible effort that United moved level on points with Blackburn Rovers at the top of the table.

They swarmed all over Everton using smartly delivered passes to either flank to fashion a series of telling raids.

That these perfectly executed forward thrusts came to nothing at all during what was an unnecessarily frenetic opening period, was due, in no small part to the profligacy of their forwards.

Everton's reliance upon shots driven in from distance was a painful reminder that what their football currently lacks is width, and a touch of devil.

Just before the half hour mark United moved in front. Gary Neville's throw-in from the right was allowed to drift and drift before it fell at the feet of Paul Scholes. Scholes tried his luck but hopelessly miscued his shot. No mind. The ball looped up over Everton's open-mouthed defenders before David Beckham arrived unannounced at the far post to head in comfortably.

It was easy and getting easier by the minute. Six minutes into the second half Giggs pulled the ball back from the left and although Teddy Sheringham's drive from 12 yards did flick off an Everton boot, a first goal since his summer arrival from Tottenham Hotspur was finally his.