LONDON, Jan 3: Resurgent Manchester United roared up to second place in the Premier League Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at Old Trafford, their sixth straight victory.

The champions, who had slipped to ninth in the table after their 1-0 home defeat by West Ham on Dec 8, now trail leaders Leeds United by only two points.

Two Paul Scholes goals and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first-half strike gave Alex Ferguson’s side victory against a Newcastle team who would have gone top had they won. Alan Shearer’s scored the visitors’ consolation.

In the night’s other game a Horacio Carbonari own goal gave Fulham a 1-0 win at struggling Derby County, who stay third from bottom.

P W D L F A Pts

Leeds United 21 11 8 2 33 17 41

Manchester United 21 12 3 6 51 31 39

Arsenal 20 11 6 3 41 24 39

Newcastle United 21 12 3 6 39 28 39

Liverpool 20 11 5 4 30 20 38

Chelsea 21 8 9 4 33 20 33

Tottenham 21 9 4 8 32 27 31

Charlton Ath 21 7 8 6 27 24 29

Aston Villa 21 7 8 6 27 26 29

Fulham 20 6 9 5 20 20 27

Sunderland 21 7 6 8 18 23 27

West Ham 21 6 7 8 25 34 25

Everton 21 6 5 10 23 29 23

Bolton W. 21 5 8 8 24 32 23

Blackburn 21 5 7 9 25 26 22

Middlesbrough 20 6 4 10 19 28 22

Southampton 20 7 1 12 23 33 22

Derby County 21 5 4 12 15 36 19

Ipswich Town 21 4 6 11 26 31 18

Leicester City 20 3 7 10 14 36 16

—Reuters