The Reds on Saturday replaced longtime leader Newcastle, which tumbled 3-2 at Wimbledon.
But most attention was on the Dell, where Bruce Grobbelaar, the focal point of a bribes scandal that has stunned English soccer, was cheered off the field Saturday after helping Southampton to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal.
The 37-year-old Zimbabwean didn't have to make any great saves in his first game for the Saints since the allegations were made. He didn't even need to save Arsenal's 66th-minute penalty, because Arsenal striker Paul Dickov missed the goal completely. Jim Magilton scored the only goal, to end Arsenal's 10-game unbeaten streak.
The cheers from the Saints fans were because Grobbelaar is fighting newspaper allegations and charges brought by the English Football Association that he accepted bribes to let in goals.
At Old Trafford, Denis Irwin, French striker Eric Cantona and Ukrainian winger Andrei Kanchelskis powered United, champion for the past two seasons, to a convincing victory.
Newcastle was two down after 27 minutes at Selhurst Park to Wimbledon goals from Andy Clarke and Nigerian international striker Efan Ekoku. Peter Beardsley and Paul Kitson hit back to make it 2-2, but Mick Harford regained the lead for the Dons.
United now heads the standings with 34 points from 15 games, and Newcastle slipped to third on goals difference behind Blackburn, which won 3-1 at Ipswich. Chris Sutton's 15th of the season and Alan Shearer's 13th helped the Rovers to victory.
United States World Cup midfielder Cobi Jones scored his first Premier League goal for Coventry, and it proved to be the matchwinner, in a 1-0 victory over Norwich.
Italian First Division
Two injury time goals from Dino Baggio and Fernando Couto on Sunday gave leaders Parma a dramatic 2-0 home win over Foggia, keeping them two points clear at the top of Italian soccer league.
But Argentine Gabriel Batistuta stole the limelight after his two late goals in Fiorentina's 5-2 victory at Napoli equaled the 32-year-old feat of Ezio Pascutti, who scored in Bologna's first 10 games of the 1962-63 season. Batistuta's goals helped turned around a 3-2 deficit in the last 10 minutes.
(AP, Reuters)
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