the 28-year-old dazzled in United's 5-2 win, with Sir Alex describing his performance as "fantastic".
"I don't think he gave the ball away once, throughout the entire game," the boss told MUTV. "I thought he was our best player in the first half and then in the second he produced some wonderful moments.
"He produces moments that make you sit back and say: 'that's world class'. The pass he gave Ronaldo in the second half was unbelievable."
Berbatov didn't feature in United's 2-0 win against Portsmouth in midweek, three days after his somewhat casual penalty had been saved at Wembley. Many media outlets lambasted the striker for the miss, while radio phone-ins were awash with suggestion that the Bulgarian was overpriced.
"Look, he missed a penalty kick. Many players have done that," reasoned Sir Alex. "Rio missed one last weekend as well and it’s all forgotten about.
"But because we paid so much money for Berbatov people are on his back. I know it was a bad penalty kick, I'm not making excuses for it. But we have to move on. It’s only a missed penalty.
"He produced some fantastic football last week but didn’t get the credit because of the penalty miss."
Boss
At the end of a week in which Dimitar Berbatov was criticised heavily for his penalty miss in the FA Cup semi-final, the Bulgarian tormented his former club and proved just why United shelled out so much money to secure his signature last summer.
National leagues : Premier League
Team Pld Pts
1 Manchester United FC 33 77
2 Liverpool FC 34 74
3 Chelsea FC 34 71
4 Arsenal FC 34 65
5 Aston Villa FC 34 55
6 Everton FC 34 53
7 Fulham FC 34 47
8 West Ham United FC 34 45
9 Manchester City FC 34 44
10 Tottenham Hotspur FC 34 44
11 Wigan Athletic FC 33 41
12 Stoke City FC 34 39
13 Bolton Wanderers FC 34 38
14 Portsmouth FC 33 37
15 Blackburn Rovers FC 34 37
16 Sunderland AFC 34 35
17 Hull City AFC 34 34
18 Middlesbrough FC 34 31
19 Newcastle United FC 33 30
20 West Bromwich Albion FC 34 28
1 Manchester United FC 33 77
2 Liverpool FC 34 74
3 Chelsea FC 34 71
4 Arsenal FC 34 65
5 Aston Villa FC 34 55
6 Everton FC 34 53
7 Fulham FC 34 47
8 West Ham United FC 34 45
9 Manchester City FC 34 44
10 Tottenham Hotspur FC 34 44
11 Wigan Athletic FC 33 41
12 Stoke City FC 34 39
13 Bolton Wanderers FC 34 38
14 Portsmouth FC 33 37
15 Blackburn Rovers FC 34 37
16 Sunderland AFC 34 35
17 Hull City AFC 34 34
18 Middlesbrough FC 34 31
19 Newcastle United FC 33 30
20 West Bromwich Albion FC 34 28
Second-half display
Manchester United FC scored five second-half goals against Tottenham Hotspur FC as they recovered from 2-0 down to beat the Londoners 5-2 and re-establish their three-point advanage over Liverpool FC at the Premier League summit.
Darren Bent (29) and Luka Modrić (32) deservedly gave the visitors a lead to take into the break and, at that point, few inside Old Trafford would have envisaged what was to come. Cristiano Ronaldo's 57th-minute penalty halved the deficit and Wayne Rooney (67) levelled with the first of three goals in four minutes, the pair each adding second strikes. Dimitar Berbatov struck a fifth eleven minutes from time. United, who host Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, still have a game in hand on Liverpool, who went top on goal difference earlier in the day with a 3-1 victory at Hull City AFC.
Darren Bent (29) and Luka Modrić (32) deservedly gave the visitors a lead to take into the break and, at that point, few inside Old Trafford would have envisaged what was to come. Cristiano Ronaldo's 57th-minute penalty halved the deficit and Wayne Rooney (67) levelled with the first of three goals in four minutes, the pair each adding second strikes. Dimitar Berbatov struck a fifth eleven minutes from time. United, who host Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, still have a game in hand on Liverpool, who went top on goal difference earlier in the day with a 3-1 victory at Hull City AFC.
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