CHAMPS SPURRED BY DEFOE DAZZLER.

Byline: JAMES CAIRNS

MAN UNITED shrugged off the loss of a first-minute goal and a player to shatter Spurs' 100 per cent record.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side put on a champions show at White Hart Lane to cancel out Jermain Defoe's stunner with strikes by Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Wayne Rooney.

Spurs started out hoping to prove their top-four credentials but instead it was United who stressed there was life after Cristiano Ronaldo with a breathtaking display.

It was a game that had everything - spectacular goals, off-the-ball incidents, a red card for Paul Scholes, flying tackles and shots on goal that had reached double figures by half-time.

But in the end United - who have made a habit of comebacks at Spurs - had three points in the bag and are tucked behind Chelsea in the title race.

Ferguson was delighted at the way his side kept their calm after Defoe's lightning start and said: "It was always going to be a hard game. Tottenham are in great form and got off to a fantastic start.

"It was a marvellous finish from Defoe but it was early and there were still 90 minutes to play. We had to gather our game and show composure."

Ferguson admitted he only started to breathe easily after Rooney's third.

Furious He added: "It was at a great time, it killed the game. We had been under the cosh because of the 10 men. It was terrible sendingoff and I think the referee got it wrong. "I have looked at the video twice and I think he has been sent off because his name is Scholes."

It took just 50 seconds to light up this thriller when Nemanja Vidic headed into Defoe's path under pressure from Peter Crouch and the attacker sweetly struck an overhead kick into the bottom corner.

Roars went all around White Hart Lane but it was United who were sparked into life and Scotland skipper Darren Fletcher burst into the box and forced Carlo Cudicini to parry at his near post.

When Vedran Corluka slid at Patrice Evra but missed, the furious United defender seemed to make slight contact with a butt on the Croat but no action was taken.

United's goal had been coming and when it arrived it was a brilliant 25-yard free-kick from Giggs that exploded past Cudicini and into the top corner.

Four minutes before the break Scholes' long-range effort was blocked by Ledley King and Anderson pounced on the loose ball to smash a drive into the bottom corner.

After the break Scholes was booked for tripping Defoe then King was cautioned for taking revenge a minute later.

Spurs were handed a lift on the hour when Scholes picked up a second booking for a clumsy tackle on Tom Huddlestone.

Despite being a man down, United poured forward and 12 minutes from time Rooney raced on to Fletcher's pass and cut inside sub Alan Hutton before squeezing his finish through Cudicini's legs.

CAPTION(S):

Over and in: Jermain Defoe's cracker puts Spurs ahead and (below) Ryan Giggs is mobbed after his equaliser