Javier Hernández is as devout as he is dangerous. Before Manchester United's disputed 2-0 win over Spurs he dropped to his knees and prayed. Then he rose, leant down again, pulled a pinch of grass and kissed it before crossing himself and looking to the heavens.

A cardinal would struggle to think of an expression of religious intensity Chicharito forgot to run through. His mission was to show Wayne Rooney there is no automatic place for him here and he left Old Trafford with that aim fulfilled. Rooney, back from a seven-star escape in Dubai, watched from beneath a beanie hat as Hernández ran through the menu of spirituality and then stayed on the pitch longer than Dimitar Berbatov. For one day only, he was United's senior striker.

These are gilded days for Sir Alex Ferguson's Mexican discovery. For him, work is an epiphany. He is soaring from the realm of promise to regular first-team action and everything is falling his way. This season has been hard toil for United but their £9m signing from Chivas de Guadalajara is a classic reaffirmation of faith in youth.

Hernández is the light to Rooney's shade. While the team's talisman plays politics the hungry pup scores late match-winning goals against Valencia, Stoke and Wolves. Against Rooney's one goal in seven months are juxtaposed six this term for Hernández: two from this right-foot, two from the left and the rest off his head.

After his pair against Stoke last weekend he exuded an almost childish sense of wonder as he contemplated his graduation. "It's an unbelievable opportunity for me to play with the biggest team in the world, Manchester United," he said. "I'm working hard because I want to stay here a long time and win lots of trophies."

This is the kind of zeal Ferguson wanted to see more of as Spurs arrived in town, trailing their dreadful record here (no Old Trafford win since 1989). With Rooney out for three weeks or more, the Berbatov-Hernández combination is the one to stop United "dilly-dallying", in Ferguson's words. Time now, he says, to display the old "indomitable spirit" on the back of "a run that suggests we have recovered our old tenacity and composure."

A freakish second goal for United was fuel for the inquests but it will not disturb either side for long. A developing Spurs team host Internazionale in the Champions League on Tuesday and United are intent on making life a lot harder for Chelsea at the top of the Premier League. Nani and Hernández are emerging as the two brightest sparks in the United talent factory as the team endeavour to improve on five wins and five draws from their opening 10 games.

A major function of the Chicharito phenomenon is that it exerts pressure on Rooney to dilly-dally-not. Ferguson was precise in his diplomatic intent when saying on Friday: "We had a feeling he would break through and, therefore, it gives you a [selection] problem, but the right kind of problem. It will be difficult [leaving Hernández out]. I'm not even suggesting he will be left out. He's keeping his place in the team because he deserves to keep his place in the team."

In his programme notes for this game he went further: "We have always had great players and I am happy to say that it looks as if we have the makings of another fine performer in our midst. I am referring, of course, to Javier Hernández, our young Mexican, who has wasted no time showing he knows the way to goal. For his early effort in the Community Shield against Chelsea, he has made the most of his time in the team, culminating with his two at Stoke that could prove pivotal for us.

"We always knew he had a great scoring instinct, but the way he screwed his body round for his header against Stoke was truly remarkable. Hardly a textbook goal, but exceptionally athletic. People ask me how we came to find the boy hidden away in Mexican football. The answer is that our scout in that part of the world tipped us off, with the result that our chief scout, Jim Lawlor, spent a month in Mexico at the beginning of the year watching all his games and making the kind of inquiries you need to ask."

With Spurs parading the kind of midfield creativity (Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart) United are now likely invest in, it fell to their captain and set-piece specialist, Nemanja Vidic, to lay a mark on Harry Redknapp's team from a Nani free-kick.

Hernández, meanwhile, was a constant delight. He is always shifting, forever dashing along corridors of space. With maturity he will make fewer runs and instead make sure the ones he makes are always productive. True to modern requirements, his link-play also earns high marks. Even his intercepted passes spoke of an urge to light up the show.

A groan from the Old Trafford crowd, when one foray came to nothing, was reprehensible. Despite Ferguson's oratory this congregation was subdued. Not that Hernández was deterred. He was in his own sealed universe of pleasure. There is always a special radiance about a talented player enjoying his private breakthrough.

A central midfield of Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick, who has lost his way, was a prosaic counterpoint to Modric and Van der Vaart, but United's forward line is more potent now that three strikers fight for two starting places, with Federico Macheda and Michael Owen also in the mix. More evidence of Hernández's impact came in the kicks aimed at his legs by Younes Kaboul and Alan Hutton. Bruises are marks of opposition fear.

A United substitution on 63 minutes was another moment for the Hernández family scrapbook. When Ferguson elected to withdraw a striker to strengthen his midfield it was Berbatov's number that blazed on the touchline.

Hernández stayed on. As all that praying showed, he has friends in high places.