Evra targets top spot

Patrice Evra claims Manchester United can make their rivals pay for their slip-ups and are on course to take over as the Barclays Premier League's outright leaders.

Evra scored his first goal since April 2007 as United saw off nine-man Wigan with, in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson "a competent performance, but no more". That was all United needed however, given the incompetence shown by Chelsea and Arsenal, and only goal difference is now keeping Ferguson's men from being top of the pile.

Evra said: "I said before the game that if we beat Wigan and Blackburn next week we would be top of the league, and I am still confident of that. But I think the team can give much more than we are giving right now."

He added: "We are still at the top of the league, but against Blackburn we need to play from the first minute, not just at the end of the game.

"We are Manchester United and we need to be more aggressive and score more goals - and to bring back the way United play always."

Evra's headed goal arrived at the perfect moment just on the stroke of half-time.

"I don't think my son was even born the last time I scored a goal for United," Evra joked afterwards on MUTV.

"It was a good cross from my best friend Ji-sung Park, I think maybe I'll get him a big present for Christmas, maybe a car."