United ran out 4-1 winners at Fratton Park despite a spirited showing from the home side, with the visitors taking the lead from a Wayne Rooney penalty on 25 minutes. Antonio Valencia had broken away on the counter and, when he found Rooney in the area, Michael Brown brought the striker down in the area.
Portsmouth were level seven minutes later, though, when referee Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot after his assistant spotted Nemanja Vidic tugging on Frederic Piquionne's shirt. United protested furiously, but - after missing from the spot against Stoke the previous weekend - Kevin-Prince Boateng made no mistake as he fired the ball past Tomasz Kuszczak.
But United were back ahead within three minutes of the restart when Ryan Giggs played a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Rooney, who slotted beyond Asmir Begovic. United then benefited from the third penalty of the game when Piquionne brought down Giggs just inside the area and Rooney stepped up to complete his hat-trick.
Giggs made it 4-1 when he curled a free-kick around the wall into the bottom corner. Substitute John Utaka then saw a fine effort tipped onto the bar in the dying moments to sum up an unfortunate day for Pompey's new manager.
Grant was taking charge of a team for the first time since Chelsea's dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to United in the 2008 Champions League final.
Blackburn R. 0 - 0 Stoke C.
Fulham 1 - 1 Bolton W.
Manchester C. 1 - 1 Hull C.
Portsmouth 1 - 4 Manchester U.
West Ham U. 5 - 3 Burnley
Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Sunderland
Aston Villa 1 - 1 Tottenham H.
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