Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland

For the first twenty minutes of this game United threatened to repeat their massacre of Blackburn. But a combination of bad luck, good goalkeeping and a Sunderland team that reorganised itself half way through the first half made sure they did not go the way of the Lancashire outfit.
With no Scholes and no Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson continued with their impressive resurgence in the middle of the park. Giggs started his first premier league game for a while coming in for the injured Nani. And it was Giggs quality that led to United's first goal after his mazy run released Rooney who sweetly chipped to the back post for Berbatov to power his header past mackems goalie Gordon after just five minutes. Since Rooney has come back from his contractual rumpus, his link up play with his strike partner has gone from strength to strength. Maybe i will be proved wrong and Berbatov won't be released in the summer.
For the first twenty minutes United were on fire, with Rooney and Berbatov combining brilliantly, Giggs showing all the experience and quality he can bring to the party and Anderson bursting forward from midfield. Berbatov hit the post with a superb run and shot, Anderson was unlucky with an excellent shot that hit the underside of the bar and Gigg was denied by the feet of Gordon.
It was a pity the way the performance fizzled out after the brilliance of the first twenty minutes, but once the second goal went in, United settled for the result and saved their legs for what could prove a far harder game at St. Andrews tomorrow night. The fact that their game at Everton was postponed will mean that they will be fresh and i don't expect the walkover we saw yesterday at Birmingham.
It was good to see Rafael get up after the horror challenge on him in the second half as he was excellent yet again yesterday. He has well and truly sown up the right back spot for himself for the forseeable future. Ferguson seems to have given him his head playing him as part of a settled back four and he has repaid Fergie's faith in him. Will his brother be able to follow in his footsteps, that would save us a few quid if he can.

Fergie is happy with Berbatov's form, but wants the Bulgarian striker to target 25 goals for the season. He was magnificent yesterday, that is for sure. I would just be happy for him to keep that standard of play up as if he does that, the goals will surely come. Whilst Phelan was very happy with the contribution of midfielder Anderson. Sam wallace writes that Fergie is where he has been so many times before, top of the league at christmas.

The BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson looks at the state of affairs as the year comes to an end and at least sees some encouraging noises coming out of China. He sees a new generation next in line to take over the reigns of power who will be more liberal and more inclined to see the wrold as the west sees it.
Mick Hume quotes Italian marxist Gramsci, " pessimism on the intellect, optimism ofthe will" to explain why he sees a positive future for the world. That broadly sums up the way i always see the world. We will make progress to a more liberal world, but progress happens in fits and starts and it can and probably will be one step forward and two steps back. But the one step forward will be permanent whilst the two steps back will be temporary.
It's hard to expect any kind of progress in Russia any time soon. Khodorkovsky is almost certainly no saint, how could any oligarch who has amassed their fortune since the transition from communsim. But the sham justice he has been subjected to for daring to satnd up to the present ruling elite shows why the the yanks suspect them of being a mafia state according to the latest round of wikileaks.

Julian Glover explains why he thinks it is in the long term interests of Europhiles to reform the monstrosity that is the common agricultural policy.

John Naughton asks if this is the end of net neutrality