Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney teamed up to shoot down Newcastle in a tight clash at St James' Park.
Wayne Rooney, the man the Magpies tried to sign in August, blasted home a seventh-minute volley and, after Alan Shearer had levelled with his 10th goal of the season on 71 minutes, Ruud van Nistelrooy nervelessly converted a 74th-minute penalty to clinch three invaluable points before Rooney struck again deep into injury-time.
There was little doubt that United were the better side, although Newcastle will again feel they were denied the rub of the green after Andy O'Brien appeared to be fouled by Rooney in the run-up to the penalty.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson's men headed for home having regained their momentum, while opposite number Graeme Souness left the dug-out knowing that the pressure is very definitely on after another disjointed display in which his side lacked the shape, guile and quality to beat United.
There were few surprises when Ferguson's team selection saw 10 changes to the side which started against Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup in midweek, although there were a few raised eyebrows when the man retained was midfielder Darren Fletcher.
By contrast, Souness again opted to leave French winger Laurent Robert on the bench and handed a first Barclays Premiership start to his new-look central defensive partnership of Titus Bramble and former Old Trafford stalwart Ronny Johnsen.
With Van Nistelrooy and Rooney preparing to link up once again with goals at a premium, their contribution was certain to be key in one way or another.
As it happened, Rooney needed just seven minutes to remind Newcastle why they had tried so hard to sign him before their opponents' £27million bid was accepted by Everton.
The teenager's run was picked out by Fletcher, but the execution of the volley which sailed past the stranded Given was all his own work.
Behind before they had even got their second wind, Newcastle lurched through the rest of the first half as a lack of genuine width - at one point, the crowd started singing the name of French winger Laurent Robert in a bid to get the message through to Souness - hampered them severely.
The movement of Cristiano Ronaldo - at least that which did not involve throwing himself to the ground at every available opportunity - Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy proved problematical.
But with a great deal of hard work, they just about managed to keep the visitors at bay. However, going forward, there were undeniable problems.
Nicky Butt was not enjoying the best of afternoons against his former club, while nominal wide-men Craig Bellamy and Lee Bowyer simply could not provide the type of supply which best suits strikers like Shearer and Patrick Kluivert.
That said, they had several good opportunities, but once again failed to take them.
Shearer worked keeper Roy Carroll with a third-minute free-kick but was unable to do so once again on 35 minutes when he made the most of Rio Ferdinand's slip under Given's clearance to run in on goal, only to shoot agonisingly wide.
Kluivert picked up Rooney's underhit back-pass seven minutes later and rounded Carroll, but in his hurry to finish, he lost his bearings and stabbed the ball well wide.
The visitors returned with the wind in their sails after the break, and Fletcher could have put the result beyond any doubt within six minutes.
First he cut in from the left and fired a right-foot shot straight at Given, and then he turned up from the opposite flank to collect a Paul Scholes pass, but this time skied his effort high over.
Kluivert thought he had levelled with 53 minutes gone when he ran on to Bellamy's pass and fired past Carroll, but the offside flag had gone up long before the ball hit the back of the net.
Kieron Dyer replaced Bowyer a minute later and was soon followed by Wes Brown, on for the injured Mikael Silvestre, but while the home side were pressing again, it was the visitors who were attacking with the greater purpose.
Rooney shot high over after being picked out beyond the far post by Scholes on 62 minutes, and it was then that Souness acted, sending on Robert for the disgruntled Kluivert and to popular acclaim.
Robert tried hard to force his way into the game, but it was Shearer who levelled on 71 minutes, robbing Brown before charging in on goal and beating Carroll with a low left-foot drive.
However, Newcastle were on level terms for just three minutes, and yet again, the home side felt they had been hard done to.
Rooney appeared to fell O'Brien wide on the United left but referee Mike Dean allowed play to continue and when the striker crossed, Given was adjudged to have fouled Scholes, and the official pointed to the spot.
Van Nistelrooy may be struggling for goals from open play, but he is as lethal as ever from the spot, and he dispatched the penalty with ruthless efficiency to silence the home crowd, with Rooney's second simply rubbing salt into the wound.
