Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Ryan Giggs for the inspiration he provided in the 2-0 defeat of Stoke, which sent Manchester United to the Premier League summit for the first time this season.

Chelsea pulled clear at the top of the English Premier League on Saturday after Manchester United ended Tottenham's winning start to the season with a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane.

Leader Liverpool dropped two valuable points at lowly Stoke, stumbling to a 0-0 draw a day after manager Rafa Benitez angrily dismissed Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's assertion that the Reds' title bid will falter due to nerves.