Premiership: United regain top table status with Spurs win

Man Utd 4, Tottenham 0 (full-time)

Ruud van Nistelrooy became the first Manchester United player in 14 years to score 30 competitive goals in a season as the champions deposed Arsenal as Premiership leaders in some style.

Van Nistelrooy scored twice against Tottenham at Old Trafford tonight to equal Brian McClair’s 1987-88 haul of 31 goals.

However McClair, now United’s reserve team coach, needed 48 matches to achieve that total whereas van Nistelrooy has taken just 37 games.

On a night of milestones, David Beckham scored United’s other two goals to take his tally for the season to 12, which represents his best ever haul.

The pair helped United chalk up their 13th win in their last 15 league games and in all they have taken 40 out of a possible 45 points.

The most important statistic, though, is the Premier League table, which once again shows United top by one point from Arsenal.

Diego Forlan had finally made his full United debut in place of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Ryan Giggs dropped down to the bench.

Roy Keane returned from his knee injury and Laurent Blanc was back from the flu to partner Ronny Johnsen at centre-half.

That meant the end of Gary Neville’s 16-match run at the heart of the defence and the England international reverted to his usual right-back berth.

The last time these sides had met they produced one of the matches of the season - or any season - when United came back from 3-0 down at half-time to win 5-3 at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham began intent on trying to repeat that half-time scoreline and they tested United early on.

Ben Thatcher’s curling left-wing cross fell to Simon Davies whose 20-yard shot was deflected behind.

The blustery wind made playing conditions difficult and Fabien Barthez saved a shot from United old boy Teddy Sheringham before he made an even better stop to keep out a Gus Poyet drive.

United soaked up this pressure and then hit Tottenham with a classic counter-attack goal on 15 minutes.

Van Nistelrooy released Beckham on the right and the England skipper arrowed towards goal, held off the challenge of Thatcher before scoring with his left foot into the far corner.

Predictably, the goal knocked the stuffing out of Tottenham and United were in complete now.

It came as little surprise when the Reds scored again three minutes before half-time from a penalty, although there was some dispute over the spot-kick.

Van Nistelrooy slipped the ball through the Tottenham defence and as Paul Scholes attempted to latch on to it, he was tugged back by Mauricio Taricco.

Initially referee Mike Riley seemed to let play go on only to point to the spot on the advice of his assistant referee.

He rightly sent Taricco off for what was a professional foul, as well as booking Poyet for dissent, but there was some doubt whether the Argentinian had committed his dastardly act inside or outside the area.

Whatever the legitimacy of the penalty, van Nistelrooy rammed the ball home. Now it was Tottenham who had to stage the dramatic second-half comeback - and with just 10 men - and manager Glenn Hoddle brought on Les Ferdinand for the ineffectual Sergei Rebrov at the interval.

Ferdinand was presented with a chance within a minute of coming on only for him to volley well over.

Normal service was resumed and Neil Sullivan did well to touch Blanc’s 30-yard drive around his right-hand post before he saved a piledriver from Juan Veron.

Forlan missed a great chance to make it 3-0 when he was played through on the left by Keane only for the £7.5m striker to knock the ball wide of the far post.

To his credit Forlan kept going and he helped create United’s third goal on 64 minutes.

The Uruguayan outpaced Dean Richards down the left and centred to van Nistelrooy who laid the ball off for Beckham to fire home into the roof of the net.

Not to be outdone, van Nistelrooy bagged his second of the night on 76 minutes when Sullivan failed to hold a cross and he knocked home the loose ball.