Bruno became United's all-time leading scorer from the spot when he opened the scoring in the 12th minute, after Alejandro Garnacho was brought down in the area.

When the latter was judged to have been fouled again inside the box, Fernandes handed the ball to Rashford, who made no mistake in scoring the Reds' second after 36 minutes.

The damage would prove to be done by those moments before the break, despite numerous chances either side of half-time for Everton, as Erik ten Hag's men got back to winning ways following last weekend's derby defeat, with three points in the lunchtime kick-off at Old Trafford.

FIRST HALF - TWO GOOD FROM THE SPOT

It was Everton who appeared to win the pre-match toss, as the teams flipped sides ahead of kick-off, meaning United would attack the vocal Stretford End in the first half. 

The earliest of the action was seen at the other end of the ground however, the East Stand, as the visitors made a menacing start. Dictator-in-chief was Dwight McNeil and it was his early free-kick into the box that carved out the game's first chance, but neither Amadou Onana or Ben Godfrey could bundle it home before the former's namesake, Andre, gratefully gathered in the Reds' goal. 

A brilliant long-range ball forward from Fernandes did get Erik ten Hag's men going soon after, however. The skipper superbly set away Rashford on the counter-attack, who was denied a free shot on goal by Jack Harrison's commendable efforts to get back and force a corner. The resulting delivery was met by Raphael Varane but the Frenchman headed straight at Jordan Pickford.

Our next foray forward was the one that led to the contest's opening goal. Garnacho, whose memorable overhead kick opened the scoring in November's reverse fixture, was brought down as he entered the penalty area by James Tarkowski, and the subsequent spot-kick - awarded by referee Simon Hooper - had just enough on it from Fernandes to beat Pickford low to the England keeper's left.

Sean Dyche's team nearly mounted an instant response, when McNeil venomously volleyed towards goal from what had been a cleared cross, but his clean strike thankfully whistled just wide of Onana's post. At the other end, Fernandes will have wanted another go at Garnacho's low cutback from the right, which he could not keep under the crossbar with a first-time effort. That was just before a goalbound free-kick of his, from the edge of the penalty area, was palmed away by Pickford.

Just prior, United Academy graduate James Garner saw a curling shot diverted away by Reds goalkeeper Onana before the rebound was fired over by the Everton midfielder of the same surname. The visitors were certainly well in this contest, and McNeil could not have been much closer with a low shot across the goal that skirted just past the post on its way wide.

The Toffees would prove to pay the penalty for those missed opportunities though, when Ten Hag's men were awarded a second spot-kick of the afternoon, with Garnacho, this time, brought down by Godfrey after a mesmerising dart forward. Fernandes handed the duties on this occasion to Rashford, who slotted home to his left, sending the keeper the wrong way to become United's joint-top scorer in the league this season, with seven goals.

An eventful half continued to deliver chances right into four added minutes - Casemiro saw a long-range piledriver blocked, Victor Lindelof had a shot thwarted by Pickford and, for the visitors, a Varane block prevented McNeil making it 2-1 with one of the final kicks before the interval.

SECOND HALF - DAMAGE DONE EARLIER

The visitors, behind to two penalties despite creating several good first-half chances, expectedly came out with a point to prove after half-time. There continued to be no way through though, in the early minutes of the second 45, Abdoulaye Doucoure struck low at the end of a strategically worked free-kick, but saw his attempt ricochet off the knee of Scott McTominay.

It felt as though a third goal would all-but seal the points for United, and the end-to-end, open nature of the encounter ensured the Reds would have openings to widen the gap on the scoreline. Before the 60-minute mark, the ball was twice reached the shooting feet of Garnacho inside the box - his first attempt was fired narrowly over before the second, on the stretch to connect with a Fernandes pass across the goal, rolled wide.

United shot-stopper Onana kept out Doucoure's ploy to sneak the ball inside the near post, while his goalkeeping counterpart Pickford was equal to a low drive from Fernandes, tipping it around the post, before denying a scuffed shot from Lindelof with his left boot, in the melee from the corner that followed.

Everton's next two efforts at halving the deficit came via two of their three substitutes brought on just after the hour mark. Andre Gomes powered a free-kick straight into the United wall, before Lewis Dobbin curled high and over in the next sequence of play. 

The away side continued to push for a route back into the battle, but that on-target moment continued to evade them. A searching low cross from Dobbin skipped along the goalmouth and just evaded the stretch of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, before the latter headed a corner from the left straight at Onana, shortly after.

Those attempts would prove to be the final real scares provided by the visitors, as United came on strong with time ticking away. Casemiro headed wide from a free-kick into the box, although the flag was up, and Fernandes, who continued to display a boundless energy, in the 93rd minute, saw his last strike of the game re-routed for a corner.

Before the final whistle, the Reds were initially awarded a third penalty of the game, as Rashford was brought down by Jarrad Branthwaite, but referee Hooper quickly saw his assistant referee's signal for offside after pointing to the spot.

It had no major bearing with the contest concluded moments later, as United kicked off the weekend with the win, closing the gap to fifth-placed Tottenham in the table to three points, ahead of the north Londoners' trip to fourth-spot-occupants Aston Villa on Sunday.

MATCH DETAILS 

United: An.Onana; Dalot, Varane, Evans (Kambwala 89), Lindelof; Mainoo (Amrabat 79), Casemiro; Fernandes (c), McTominay, Garnacho (Antony 83), Rashford.

Unused substitutes: Bayindir, Mee, Ogunneye, Collyer, Eriksen, Amad.

Bookings: McTominay.

Goals: Fernandes (pen) 12, Rashford (pen) 36.

Everton: Pickford; Godfrey, Tarkowski (c), Branthwaite, Mykolenko (Chermiti 88); Harrison (Dobbin 61), Garner (Young 75), Am.Onana, McNeil; Doucoure (Gomes 61); Beto (Calvert-Lewin 61).

Unused substitutes: Virginia, Coleman, Keane, Patterson.

Bookings: Am. Onana, Doucoure.