Manchester United maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday when they beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Old Trafford.

A Gareth McAuley own goal got the Red Devils on their way in the ninth minute before Robin van Persie came off the bench to seal the win in spectacular style late on.

The victory extended United's unbeaten run to eight games in the league, while it was West Brom's first loss in four matches.

Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action from Manchester.

Match statistics:

Man Utd:
Shots 17
On target 14
Possession 58%
Corners 9
Fouls 9

West Brom:
Shots 13
On target 9
Possession 42%
Corners 6
Fouls 7

Was the result fair?

Just about. United were well below par for large parts of the match, but West Brom failed to capitalise. The hosts were ultimately more clinical in front of goal and that is why they took the three points.

Man Utd's performance

The Red Devils appeared shaky at times and they looked nervous when going for a second goal. However, there were also some fine individual displays, including Shinji Kagawa, Nemanja Vidic and Antonio Valencia. Sir Alex Ferguson ended the match down on the touchline though, so he must have been unhappy with what he saw.

West Brom's performance

Baggies boss Steve Clarke has plenty to be proud of from his players. They often defended with great commitment, but it was their wastefulness in front of goal that will grate the Scot. The club should also do all that it can to keep Romelu Lukaku beyond January as his introduction in the second half gave the visitors a real lift.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Nemanja Vidic: The United skipper was a rock-solid presence at the back for the home side and he looked something like his old best with a number of clattering challenges and aerial clearances. A special mention should also go to West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster who pulled off some impressive stops to keep his team in the contest.

Biggest gaffe

Ashley Young could have saved a lot of worrying for the hosts if he had doubled their lead at the start of the second half. However, the winger completely missed the ball from 10 yards out following good work from Valencia.

Referee performance

It was Jon Moss's first time officiating Manchester United and he showed no signs of being daunted. True, he could have awarded the visitors a penalty early on when Chris Smalling fouled Shane Long, but overall his display was solid.

What next?

Man Utd: Sir Alex Ferguson takes his side to Wigan Athletic in the league on New Year's Day.

West Brom: The Baggies can put this defeat behind them when they welcome Fulham to the Hawthorns on the same day.