With an arduous run of away fixtures in the first half of the season, one match postponed already and another to come later this month due to the knock-on effect of last term's Champions League win, United have fallen off the pace.

Yesterday's win at Manchester City, coupled with Chelsea's surprise home defeat by Arsenal, has brightened the picture significantly.

But Sir Alex Ferguson's men still have ground to make up on Chelsea and Liverpool, who are yet to prove they are capable of a sustained championship challenge under Rafael Benitez.

Yet they only have two more games to play, against current crisis club Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday and Tottenham in London a week later, before they head off to Japan for a Club World Cup campaign that does not only see them miss an encounter with Wigan, but will also leave them only three full days' preparation for a Boxing Day trip to Stoke.

Little wonder Ferguson could do with a bit of breathing space in United's packed fixture schedule, even though on Friday the Scot scoffed at the mere suggestion his side might prefer to lose this week's Carling Cup quarter-final with Blackburn.

Van der Sar, who, like most of the players on duty at Eastlands yesterday, will be given Wednesday off, remains philosophical about the situation.

Having visited all their big four rivals, plus Aston Villa, Portsmouth and now Manchester City, the veteran Dutchman is content United are in good shape.

"We feel quite comfortable," he said.

"The only thing you can do is win your own games.

"Every club has 38 matches to play and somehow we have to find a date where we can play those extra games.

"Hopefully it won't be too late, but either way, our task is quite straightforward. We just have to get more points than the others."

Cristiano Ronaldo's bizarre red card took the gloss off yesterday's derby victory. The Portuguese star received a second yellow card for an inexplicable handball in City's penalty area.

As City boss Mark Hughes stated immediately after the game, if the midfielder thought Wayne Rooney's corner was going to hit him in the face, why not just head it?

Instead, his handball left referee Howard Webb little alternative other than to send him off, even though the 23-year-old seemed incredulous at the decision.

Less contentious will be Ronaldo's confirmation as winner of the prestigious Ballon D'Or, which is due to be announced overnight.

Although Lionel Messi is another outstanding candidate, it is hard to see why Ronaldo, having scored 42 goals in a season that ended with United lifting the two major prizes on offer, beating Barcelona on the way to their Champions League triumph, would be overlooked.

Rooney is not in contention but having broken a seven-game barren streak by netting his 100th club goal, he is a man Ferguson will be looking to for an even greater contribution over the next few weeks.

"It was important to pick up the three points," said the England star.

"If we hadn't got the three points, it would have given Chelsea and Liverpool a big boost. We did our job as well as we could do, which is good."

Rooney's presence on the scoresheet means Carlos Tevez will be playing second fiddle once more, which is bound to raise more speculation over his future once a two-year loan reaches its conclusion in May.

It has also been confirmed Patrice Evra will miss the Tottenham encounter on December 13 after picking up his fifth booking of the season.