Rooney scores first EPL goal of season as Man United defeats Sunderland

Rooney scores first EPL goal of season as Manchester United tops Sunderland

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Memphis Depay scored his first ever Premier League goal and Wayne Rooney added his first of the season as Manchester United beat Sunderland 3-0 to go top of the standings on Saturday.

Louis van Gaal's side never looked under threat and completed a comfortable victory at Old Trafford when Juan Mata, who had set up Depay for United's opener, rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute.

The result left United top and Sunderland still bottom of the table.

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Van Gaal has had his doubters during his 14-month spell in charge, but United is now top for the first time since beating Swansea 4-1 in former coach David Moyes' first game in charge on Aug. 18, 2013.

United applied plenty of early pressure and eventually found a way through in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

A spectacular 35-meter (yard) pass by Dutch international Daley Blind picked out Mata at the back post and the Spaniard's cutback was steered in from close range by Depay, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven for 31 million pounds (then $48 million) in June.

Rooney had another United newcomer, Anthony Martial, to thank for his goal.

Just after the re-start, the French teenager went on a clever run before whipping back a square pass. Sunderland's Lee Cattermole tried pushing the United captain out of the way, but the ball struck Rooney's knee and went in.

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The strike ended Rooney's 11-match goal drought for the club in the league, and also took him level with Denis Law as United's joint-third leading league scorer with 171 goals.

United kept looking for a third and Depay wasted a clear chance in a one-on-one with Costel Pantilimon, with the 21-year-old winger sending his shot straight at the Sunderland keeper.

Mata fared a lot better, though, driving home Ashley Young's cross in the final minute to spark chants of "We are top of the league" from the Stretford End.

Pope Francis and Soccer

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Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) poses with the San Lorenzo team emblem, which he supports in Buenos Aires, on May 24, 2011.

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Pope Francis is given a San Lorenzo jersey as he greets the faithful prior to his first 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica during Easter Mass on March 31, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Argentina's San Lorenzo team poses with a huge flag behind them with an image of Pope Francis before the start of their match against Newell's Old Boys on March 31, 2013 in Buenos Aires.

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Pope Francis talks with Juventus team president Andrea Agnelli (left) and coach Antonio Conte (right) during their audience at The Vatican on May 21, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis receives an autographed Juventus jersey from captain Gianluigi Buffon (right) and coach Antonio Conte at the end of their audience at The Vatican on May 21, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Gianluigi Buffon of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Mario Balotelli of Italy's national team shakes hands with Pope Francis during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis holds an autographed soccer ball from Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis welcomes Stephan El Shaarawy of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis smiles as he receives a jersey from FIFA President Sepp Blatter during a private audience at The Vatican on November 22, 2013 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Antonio Cassano of FC Parma during an audience at The Vatican on February 1, 2014 in Vatican City.

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An Argentina fan holds a flag with a portrait of Pope Francis prior to a Group F football match between Argentina and Iran at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on June 21, 2014.

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Argentina's supporters hold a banner depicting Pope Francis, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi as they wait for the arrival of Argentinian players outside the Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, on June 24, 2014, on the eve of a Group F football match between Argentina and Nigeria during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

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Argentina fans hold posters of Lionel Messi, Pope Francis and Diego Maradona prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Round of 16 match between Argentina and Switzerland at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 1, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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A banner with the image of Pope Francis hangs from a stand of Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 13, 2014 during the Copa Libertadores 2014 second leg football final between Argentina's San Lorenzo and Paraguay's Nacional.

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Pope Francis receives the Copa Libertadores trophy from Matias Lammens as he meets members of the San Lorenzo team during his weekly public audience on August 19, 2014 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis receives a jersey from Diego Maradona during an audience with the players of the 'Partita Interreligiosa Della Pace' at Paul VI Hall before the Interreligious Match For Peace at Olimpico Stadium on September 1, 2014 in Rome.

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Pope Francis takes a group photo with the players of the 'Partita Interreligiosa Della Pace' at Paul VI Hall on September 1, 2014 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Arjen Robben of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

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(From left) Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of FC Bayern Muenchen present Pope Francis a team jersey during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Xabi Alonso of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

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A banner depicting Diego Maradona, Pope Francis and Lionel Messi hangs before the start of Argentina's Copa America semifinal match against Paraguay on June 30, 2015 in Concepcion, Chile.

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Spanish club Villarreal visits the Vatican prior to a Europa League match against AS Roma.