LEEDS, England, March 30 - Manchester United withstood a spirited Leeds United comeback to win a rip-roaring Premier League clash 4-3 at Elland Road Saturday and return to the top of the table.
Two typically opportunist goals in two first-half minutes by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sandwiched between strikes by Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, had the champions 4-1 up after an hour.
Leeds, who had made it 1-1 early on through Mark Viduka, hit back through Ian Harte and Lee Bowyer to set up a tense final 10 minutes.
But United, who lost at home to Middlesbrough last weekend, held out for their eighth away win in nine games to move back to the top of the table on 67 points.
Leeds, who have not beaten Manchester United for five years, remain fifth, five points back.
Manchester United, who won 5-3 at West Ham in their previous away match, went ahead in the ninth minute against Leeds when Mikael Silvestre escaped down the left and cut back for Scholes to rifle home a shot from just inside the box.
Leeds, however, looked confident, despite the loss of Harry Kewell to a foot injury. His replacement, Bowyer, set up the equaliser 10 minutes later with a surging run before slipping the ball into the path of Viduka who poked it past Fabien Barthez.
Solskjaer then turned the game with two goals in two minutes. The first, in the 37th, was a simple finish after Nigel Martyn failed to hold a low, stinging Scholes effort and the second was a deflected shot following another penetrating overlap by Silvestre.
United made it 4-1 10 minutes into the second half when David Beckham ran unchallenged for 60 metres before crossing for Giggs to side-foot in.
Martyn then reacted sharply to tip a Ronny Johnsen header onto the bar as United enjoyed another hot spell.
Leeds pulled one back in the 62nd minute with a superb dipping free kick by Harte and Bowyer made it 4-3 with 10 minutes to go when he reacted well to head in a mishit Robbie Fowler shot.
Results:
Arsenal 3 Sunderland 0
Bolton Wanderers 3 Aston Villa 2
Chelsea 2 Derby County 1
Leeds United 3 Manchester United 4
Leicester City 2 Blackburn Rovers 1
Liverpool 2 Charlton Athletic 0
Southampton 1 Fulham 1
West Ham United 3 Ipswich Town 1
—Reuters