Premiership: Fergie delighted to be top again

Alex Ferguson was a happy man after Manchester United moved to the top of the Premiership courtesy of today’s 3-1 win at Southampton.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Beckham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer netted to give the defending champions their seventh successive league win.

And Ferguson said: ‘‘It’s terrific to be at the top of the table.

‘‘We were making too many mistakes, but other teams have to and that’s given us half a chance.

‘‘But it was a battle here today. I think in the first half Southampton played very well.

‘‘But the goal on the stroke of half time knocked the stuffing out of them a bit and in the second half we played much better.’’

Ferguson revealed he warned his players before the game about the strength of the home side’s crossing - but James Beattie was allowed to capitalise on one of them to head Southampton into an early lead.

The United boss continued: ‘‘We spoke about their crossing because they do cross the ball well and Beattie is a good header of the ball.

‘‘But fortunately we managed to cancel out that goal in a few minutes.’’

Dutchman van Nistelrooy got the ninth-minute leveller. It meant he scored for the eighth game in a row, and for the seventh successive game in open play in the Premiership.

It took van Nistelrooy’s goal tally for the season to 27 - 14 of them in the Premiership - and Ferguson added: ‘‘The form he is in is remarkable.

‘‘He is putting the half chances away and he took his goal very well here today.’’