Wayne Rooney broke the deadlock against the run of play midway through the first half before doubling the hosts' lead in the 36th minute and setting up Robin van Persie for the third after half time.

Papiss Cisse netted a late consolation from the penalty spot for Newcastle, who have lost three league games in a row to drop to 10th in the table.

Below, Sports Mole marks each player out of 10 for their performance at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scores the first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on December 26, 2014 © Getty Images

MAN UTD

Goal

David de Gea: Made one key save in the first half by tipping Daryl Janmaat's fierce long-range shot out for a corner. Couldn't do anything about Cisse's pinpoint penalty despite diving the right way. (7/10)

Defence

Phil Jones: Looked solid throughout, but guilty of wafting out a leg and conceding the soft late penalty. (6/10)

Paddy McNair: Back in the side and a decent showing from the 19-year-old. (6/10)

Jonny Evans: Rarely troubled in the second half, but guilty of gifting Newcastle one of their better first-half chances. (5/10)

Midfield

Antonio Valencia: A willing runner down the wing and strong in the tackle when needed. Removed in the 80th minute. (6/10)

Michael Carrick: Fuss-free. Would have been happy to be back in midfield after last weekend's stint in defence. Came off with half an hour to go. (6/10)

Wayne Rooney: The clear man of the match for his two neatly-taken goals and perfectly-weighted assist for the third. Almost had a hat-trick. (9/10)

Juan Mata: Played key roles in both first-half goals, but extremely lucky not to concede a penalty at 0-0 when he clipped Yoan Gouffran's heels. (6/10)

Ashley Young: Continues to play well at wing-back. Sent over many an inviting cross and also proved that he can be tough in the tackle. (7/10)

Attack

Radamel Falcao: The standout player in the first half, even with Rooney getting both goals. He did brilliantly to slide in and set up the first before winning the ball back for the second. Taken off midway through the second half so he will be fresh for Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur. (8/10)

Robin van Persie: Made plenty of clever runs in the first half, but saw little of the ball. Rewarded for his persistence after the break with a well-taken header. (7/10)

Substitutes

Darren Fletcher: Replaced Carrick and was a calming influence in midfield. (6/10)

James Wilson: Took Falcao's place and put himself about. Didn't get a sight of goal. (6/10)

Rafael: Came on for Valencia down the right for the stale final 10 minutes. (6/10)

Wayne Rooney of Manchester United celebrates scoring the first goal with team-mate Radamel Falcao during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on December 26, 2014 © Getty Images

NEWCASTLE

Goal

Jak Alnwick: The Magpies' third-choice keeper could do very little about any of the goals. Only tested on one other occasion. (6/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Almost scored a fabulous goal, but guilty of poor positioning for the second and third goals. (4/10)

Steven Taylor: Like Janmaat, at fault for Rooney's second and Van Persie's header. (4/10)

Fabricio Coloccini: Better than his above two teammates, but part of a poor Newcastle defence on the day. (5/10)

Paul Dummett: Denied Falcao a clear header with some good first-half defending. Taken off in the 63rd minute as Alan Pardew went in search of more going forward. (6/10)

Midfield

Vurnon Anita: Came in for Cheick Tiote and didn't do anything wrong, but not as active as his suspended teammate would have been. (5/10)

Jack Colback: Won the visitors' penalty and put in a few good crosses. (6/10)

Moussa Sissoko: The odd bright moment, but not his bustling self. (6/10)

Ayoze Perez: The Magpies' best player, although his decision-making was a bit suspect at time. Caused Man Utd plenty of problems. Removed late on. (7/10)

Yoan Gouffran: Should have won a penalty in the early stages, but faded drastically out of the game. (5/10)

Attack

Adam Armstrong: A willing runner on his first Premier League start, the highly-rated 17-year-old had the odd promising moment. Taken off with half an hour to go. (6/10)

Substitutes

Remy Cabella: Took Dummett's place, but was unable to add any more punch to the visitors. (5/10)

Papiss Cisse: Another goal and a perfect penalty as he coolly side-footed into the top corner. (7/10)

Haris Vuckic: Took Perez's place for a rare run-out in the closing stages. (6/10)