Manchester United regained their seven point lead at the top of the table after coming from behind and beating Newcastle United 1 - 2 at St. James Park last night.

Wins for Liverpool and Chelsea 24 hours earlier had encouraged thoughts of the title battle being opened up once more and Peter Lovenkrands 9th-minute opener for Newcastle would have triggered huge cheers on Merseyside and in West London.

But the stumble United’s rivals had hoped for failed to materialise on a night that saw Manchester City dent Aston Villa’s hopes of securing Uefa Champions League football next season with a 2-0 win at Eastlands.

United’s win restored their seven-point lead and the champions also have a game in hand to help them close out a third straight English title. Newcastle ended Edwin van der Sar’s record-breaking run without conceding a goal in a league match but were unable to defend their early lead.

The Magpies caused the visitors serious problems in an impressive 20-minute opening spell which yielded the strike from Danish winger Lovenkrands, the first league goal conceded by Dutch keeper van der Sar in 1 311 minutes of play.

Having weathered the storm, United equalised after Dimitar Berbatov set up Wayne Rooney for a 20th-minute strike and, ten minutes after the interval, the Bulgarian striker found the net himself with a tap-in from Park Ji-Sung’s cross.

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New Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink believes Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba can play in the same team - if they show defensive as well as attacking qualities.

Anelka marked Hiddink’s first game in charge by scoring the winner against Aston Villa - his 21st goal of the season. Victory pushed the Blues ahead of Villa into third spot in the Barclays Premier League.

Previous Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari had been reluctant to play Drogba and Anelka in the same team. However, Hiddink said: “You can only play good attacking football when everyone knows their job defensively.

“We have quality players like Anelka and Drogba and, when they have the spirit to work defensively for the team, then you can also the play the way we like tolay.

“They are the first defensive line and must join in with the midfield in having defensive responsibilities.

“If they are willing to do that there is no problem with using their strong qualities offensively.”

Hiddink also insisted he had seen no divisions amongst the players in the build-up to the game.

He said: “We have worked very hard physically and also strategically. Everyone has been very professional. I have not seen any division in the group.”

As regards Chelsea’s 1-0 victory, Hiddink said: “I am satisfied with the performance and the result, especially against a team like Villa who have had a very good record recently. They have not been beaten in the league for a long time.

“In the first half we were very dominant and the only criticism is that we did not finish the game off.

“In the second half they came at us with their big strong guys in the air but we were also a bit too static when we had the ball in possession.

“We can improve a little bit but I am very pleased and satisfied to get that game in our pocket.”

Villa boss Martin O’Neill felt a third game in six days after cup ties with Everton and CSKA Moscow had taken its toll on his side.

He said: “It sounds like an excuse but I do believe the three games in quick succession took their toll. At the beginning, we looked leggy and Chelsea got into their stride very quickly.

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Ryan Giggs scored an excellent goal to clinch the match 1 - 0 for Manchester United against West Ham on Sunday. This ensured Man U regains the top spot in the English Premier League from Liverpool, who briefly went to the top on Saturday by beating Portsmouth 3 - 2.

In a cagey game of few chances Giggs jinked past two West Ham players after 61 minutes before skimming a low shot inside the far post to put the champions two points clear of Liverpool.

United have 55 points from 24 games while Liverpool, who beat Portsmouth 3-2 on Saturday, have 54 from 25.

United’s miserly defence was never unduly troubled as they registered a 13th consecutive clean sheet in the league.

Arsenal remain a distant fifth after drawing 0-0 at north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur despite playing for nearly an hour with ten men after Emmanuel Eboue was sent off.

Source: supersport.co.za

Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson have warned their rivals in the premier league that the Red Devils have rediscovered their ruthless streak as they beat West Bromwich Albion 5 - 0 in Tuesday night’s English Premier League game to go three points clear of closest rivals Liverpool.

Goals from Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Nemanja Vidic and two from Cristiano Ronaldo completed an emphatic rout of bottom club West Brom, whose flickering hopes were snuffed out with the 40th minute dismissal of captain Paul Robinson for a late challenge on South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung.

But with United now clear of the pack and with goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar breaking his Chelsea counterpart Petr Cech’s shut-out record by taking his run without conceding a goal to 1,032 minutes, Ferguson insisted that his team are now back to their destructive best.

He said: “We have shown a real ruthless streak tonight which has maybe not been there this season.

“We always expected it to come simply because of the forwards we have, but tonight was the first indication that it is there. Hopefully we will start to motor now. We have good form, which is important, but March and April are the key months.

“Even Cristiano scored in the league again and I actually said to him, ‘Oh, you’re scoring again. That’s very good of you!’ But he is delighted to have got himself back on the scoresheet.”

United’s recent surge up the table, on the back of eleven successive clean sheets and seven league wins on the bounce, has been largely down to their defensive record.

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