LONDON (AP):

CRISTIANO RONALDO'S double rounded off Manchester United's 5-0 demolition of 10-man West Bromwich Albion yesterday to complete an English Premier League record 11th match without conceding a goal.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar went a league record 1,032nd minute without conceding to surpass the mark of 925 set by Chelsea's Petr Cech in the 2004-05 season.

And United stalwart Ryan Giggs demonstrated his ongoing value to the team, at 35, by providing Ronaldo's first goal after earlier helping to set up Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Nemanja Vidic.

"We had a ruthless streak about us for the first time this season," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "It's been a long time coming."

The defending champions established a three-point lead in the title race, but Liverpool can rejoin it at the top by beating Wigan today.

For now, the Reds have Aston Villa for company on 47 points after Emile Heskey scored on his debut to clinch a 1-0 win over Portsmouth.

Tottenham beat Stoke

Tottenham beat Stoke 3-1 to move three points ahead of their relegation rivals, who are level with bottom-placed West Brom and three other teams on 21. Kenwyne Jones, who Spurs had hoped to sign, scored in Sunderland's 1-0 win over Fulham.

At the Hawthorns, the Red Devils took 22 minutes to get into their stride with Berbatov finding the net for the fifth time in seven matches.

Giggs located Berbatov from the right flank and the Bulgaria striker played a neat one-two with Michael Carrick before crisply finishing through Scott Carson's legs.

United gained a man-advantage in the 40th when referee Rob Styles dismissed Paul Robinson for a sliding challenge on Ji-Sung Park, described as "reckless" by Ferguson.

The Baggies didn't help their cause when Carson dropped a free kick from Giggs a minute before the break, allowing Tevez to sweep the loose ball into the net.

"The goal before halftime killed it for us," Ferguson said.

Giggs continued to provide goals after the break with the Welsh midfielder swinging in a corner that Vidic fiercely headed into the roof of the net on the hour - the centre back's fifth goal of the season.

Giggs result

Five minutes later, Giggs, who holds United's all-time appearance record, swept down the left wing and whipped in a cross for Ronaldo to sidefoot home.

Ronaldo slotted past Carson again in the 73rd after Berbatov slid the ball to the Portugal winger.

The match at White Hart Lane was over by the 25th as Spurs raced into a three-goal advantage.

Establishing the lead

Aaron Lennon established the lead after eight minutes after latching on to Jermain Defoe's pass, drifting past Andy Wil-kinson and slotting through Thomas Sorensen's legs.

Defoe found the net himself in the 21st from strike partner Roman Pavlyuchenko's throughball.

Michael Dawson soon scored the third when the unmarked defender nodded Luka Modric's cross past Sorensen.

After a trio of substitutions for Stoke, new striker James Beattie gave the visitors hope of a comeback by reducing the deficit in the 57th.

At Fratton Park, Heskey took just 21 minutes to open his Villa account when the new signing from Wigan fired Gabby Agbonlahor's flick-on past David James.