BY David Walsh ( The Times )

SOL CAMPBELL'S stoppage-time equaliser provided further testimony to Spurs' new spirit under George Graham, but it was still a notable week for United, who moved to the top of the table for the first time this season just three days after booking their place in the last eight of the European Cup. The new leaders played most of the match with 10 men after Gary Neville's first-half dismissal, but they were still within a minute of ending Tottenham's improved run. Neville was sent off after 39 minutes for the second of two bookings, but two early goals by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer threatened to win it for United.

Solskjaer was playing because Dwight Yorke was injured and Alex Ferguson opted to rest Andy Cole for all but the last 16 minutes.

Campbell matched the Norwegian goal for goal, bringing Spurs back into the game with a typical towering header, then scoring a carbon copy with the time almost up.

A couple of months ago, this would have been a banker away win, but Spurs, in Graham's expert hands, are on the up and up. There is more organisation about their team these days, especially in defence, and David Ginola has responded to the revivalist fervour by producing some of the best football of his distinguished career.

There was hope for the home crowd in a run of improved results, and also in United's tendency to dip in form after their forays into Europe - witness the defeat by Sheffield Wednesday last month.

In their training session on Friday, Spurs had gone into extra time rehearsing set-pieces, with a view to exploiting United's vulnerability when the ball is in the air. They had worked on a new corner, using Ginola's height at the near post, with Andy Sinton taking the kicks instead. Graham also had Les Ferdinand back in the starting line-up for the first time for nearly two months to profit from any uncertainty there might be at the heart of the United defence.

So much for theory. In practice, United were quickly into their stride, David Beckham exposing Spurs' lack of an experienced left-back and passing Sinton at will to provide the crosses from which Solskjaer scored twice in the first 18 minutes.

Tottenham had managed to create the first chance, Chris Armstrong fastening on to a loose back-pass by Beckham and shooting over from the 18-yard line, but then United took control. The crispness of their passing was an object lesson.

Solskjaer served notice of his predatory intentions by demanding a double save from Ian Walker, and was back after 11 minutes, when he opened the scoring with a tap-in after a lovely sweeping move that saw the ball clipped between Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Butt and Beckham, whose header was blocked by Walker for Solskjaer to finish.

Butt, full of running, left Darren Anderton for dead before shooting wide across the face of goal, right to left, before United struck again. Sheringham, clearly relishing the chance against his old club, caressed a pass out to the right, from where Beckham delivered the perfect near-post cross for Solskjaer to sidefoot home from a range even closer than his first.

Spurs were in crisis, and Graham quit the directors' box for the dug-out in response to the emergency. He had some small encouragement when Anderton clipped the top of the crossbar with a 25-yard free kick, then grounds for renewed optimism when Gary Neville was banished.

United reorganised at half-time, moving Ronny Johnsen to right-back to mark Ginola, and bringing on Henning Berg to partner Jaap Stam in central defence. The player to lose out was the two-goal man, Solskjaer, Ferguson reasoning that Sheringham was the better bet to play on his own up front and hold up the ball.

Given a numerical advantage, it was inevitable that Spurs would enjoy a greater share of possession, and they were able to press forward in a way that was beyond them when numbers were even.

Campbell hooked the ball over after a corner, and Ginola shot over on the run. United were giving ground, getting as many players as possible behind the ball.

An exchange of unpleasant challenges by Beckham and Sinton, both of whom were booked, had the temperature nudging boiling point, and when Johnsen fouled Sinton to take the card count to eight, the free kick was put to full, punitive effect. Anderton hoisted it high into the goalmouth, where Campbell climbed well above the rest to score with an emphatic header.

Spurs should have equalised two minutes later, but another inviting right-wing cross was headed straight at Peter Schmeichel by Allan Nielsen, who hung his head in shame. From six yards, he should have done much better.

To his relief, Campbell reminded him how it should be done, again from an Anderton free kick. A draw was a much fairer reflection of a good game than the nine cards flourished by the fussy Uriah Rennie.

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Nielsen, Fox (Allen 82), Anderton, Ferdinand, Armstrong, Ginola, Sinton, Campbell, Young.
Booked: Sinton, Ferdinand.
Goals: Campbell 70, 90.

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Beckham, Butt, Sheringham (Cole 74), Giggs (Blomqvist 86), P Neville, Keane, Solskjaer (Berg 46).
Sent-off: G. Neville (39).
Booked: Butt, Sheringham, G Neville, P Neville, Beckham, Johnsen.
Goals: Solskjaer 11, 18.

Attendance: 36,079

Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).