Radamel Falcao scored only his fourth goal for Manchester United in a 3-1 victory over Leicester in the English Premier League on Saturday.
The striker, who is on loan until the end of the season from Monaco, scored between Robin van Persie's first goal since last month and Wes Morgan's own goal.
Marcin Wasilewski scored in the second half, but the Foxes were unable to pull off another great comeback like they did in the reverse fixture last September, which they won 5-3.
While Leicester remained bottom, United provisionally rose to third in the league above Southampton, who host Swansea on Sunday.
For the first 20 minutes at Old Trafford, United looked just as flat as the team did in its last home match - a 1-0 loss to Southampton.
But then Van Persie looked more like the striker who scored 30 goals in his debut season at the club in 2012-13, giving United the lead in the 27th minute.
The Netherlands striker watched Daley Blind's chip pass over his left shoulder before expertly stabbing the ball past Mark Schwarzer with his right boot.
Falcao rounded off a move which Van Persie started five minutes later and the three points were in the bag at halftime after Morgan turned Wayne Rooney's corner into his own net
The win - and the fact that they scored three goals - will give confidence to Van Gaal's team, who had scored just five goals in their previous six matches.
In another match, Tottenham kept the pressure on the top four of the Premier League after a 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion with Harry Kane scoring two goals.
The 21-year-old Kane took his season's tally to 20 after Christian Eriksen opened the scoring at The Hawthorns.
Eriksen struck after just six minutes with a trademark free kick, maintaining his fine recent form for the League Cup finalists.
Kane doubled the lead in the 15th and grabbed the third from the penalty spot in the 64th, condemning Tony Pulis to his first defeat as West Brom boss.
Tottenham are provisionally fifth with 40 points from 23 games.
Meanwhile, Sunderland earned their second win at home in the English Premier League thanks to a 2-0 defeat of Burnley on Saturday.
The dominant effort and first home win since October 4 against Stoke, lifted Sunderland away from the drop zone, but Burnley remained at risk.
Connor Wickham rose unmarked at the far post for Anthony Reveillere's cross, and headed in the opener after 20 minutes.
Jermain Defoe, signed from Toronto this month, scored the second in the 34th.
Burnley played the same 11 for a ninth consecutive league game, but struggled to put a shot on target.
On the other hand, Jonathan Walters scored a hat trick on Saturday as Stoke beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 in the Premier League to keep the visitors without a single point in away games this season.
Walters gave Stoke the lead in the 21st minute with a curled shot and added the second in the 34th with an effort from inside the area.
Niko Kranjcar gave Harry Redknapp's team hope by pulling one back just two minutes later, but goalkeeper Asmir Begovic made sure QPR's dreadful away form continued when he pushed a free kick from Joey Barton onto the crossbar. Walters then completed his hat trick with a header in injury time.
Stoke remained firmly lodged in mid-table with 32 points from 23 games, while QPR stayed in 19th place, a point from safety.
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