Fergie salutes unruffled Rio

Tottenham 1 Man United 2

Ferguson had toyed with the idea of leaving out Ferdinand at White Hart Lane, but relied on the defender's ability to put his disciplinary problems to one side.

United seized a 2-0 lead through strikes by John O'Shea and Ruud van Nistelrooy and while Spurs hit back through Gus Poyet, the visitors survived late pressure to ensure that they will top the table at Christmas.