LONDON: Robin Van Persie cannot stop scoring goals — even against a Tottenham side who, after a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane, have taken four points off Manchester United this season.

The Dutchman headed his 18th league goal of term from a Tom Cleverley cross in the 25th minute to hand leaders United the lead over the only team to have won at Old Trafford.

Van Persie has scored 11 goals in his last 11 games and goals in six consecutive matches.

Spurs dominated all the rest of the game with Moussa Dembele outstanding in midfield. Alert keeper David De Gea foiled Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey . . . until the American struck in the second minute of stoppage time.

That effectively cut United’s lead over City to five points.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson blamed referee Chris Foy and his assistant for not awarding United a penalty early in the second half when Caulker tangled with Wayne Rooney.

He added: “Tottenham worked their socks off so you couldn’t deny them a point. They kept pumping the ball in the box and got their reward for that. But on the counter-attack we should have killed them off in the second half. We had four or five chances. The final ball let us down. We should be better than that.”

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas thought Tottenham had worked hard enough to deserve to win. The draw left Tottenham fourth, four points ahead of chasing Everton.

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