Manchester United made it five wins out of five under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as they prepare to head out to Dubai for winter training with a 2-0 success over Reading in the third round of the FA Cup.
Solskjaer had already guided United to a run of four straight Premier League victories since being appointed manager until the end of the season after Jose Mourinho's dismissal last month.
That winning sequence was maintained against Championship side Reading, with goals from Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku seeing them through.
United are not back in action again until next Sunday at Tottemham Hotspur and will spend a few days training and relaxing in the UAE.
They will be able to reflect on going ahead against Reading in unusual fashion.
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United initially had a goal disallowed in the 22nd minute for offside against Fred but referee Stuart Attwell, after a lengthy consultation with the video assistant referee, awarded the home side a penalty for a foul on Mata in the build-up.
The Spanish midfielder then scored from the spot himself, sending Reading goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola the wrong way.
Alexis Sanchez and Lukaku were both making their first United starts under Solskjaer and the pair combined to double the lead deep into stoppage time at the end of the first-half.
From Sanchez's through-ball, the onrushing Lukaku calmly rounded Jaakkola and scored from a tight angle.
Elsewhere, an all-Premier League clash saw Brighton and Hove Albion win 3-1 away at south coast rivals Bournemouth.
Brighton, beaten in a replay by United in the 1983 FA Cup final, scored with what amounted to their first attack of the game when Anthony Knockaert fired them into a 31st-minuted lead.
And three minutes later it was two, when Yves Bissouma's long-range shot went in off the post.
Bournemouth pulled a goal back through Marc Pugh's fine effort from 20 yards out but Brighton restored their two-goal lead in the 64th minute when Florin Andone headed in from the Seagulls' first corner of the game.
Marko Arnautovic had a bizarre match as West Ham beat Championship club Birmingham 2-0.
The Austrian striker scored in the second minute. Yet Arnautovic was, for no clear reason, substituted after 19 minutes by Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini.
But Andy Carroll, the man who replaced Arnautovic, made it 2-0 in the 90th minute when the forward's header saw him score his first goal since April.
West Ham's Samir Nasri, the former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder playing 60 minutes on his debut for the east London side, having joined after completing a doping ban.
Premier League strugglers Burnley needed a late penalty from Chris Wood to see off third-tier Barnsley 1-0.
