Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted to selecting a stronger Manchester United side than he had originally planned for Sunday's clash with Everton.
The Red Devils went 12 points clear of crosstown rivals Manchester City with a 2-0 home win over the Toffees with Ferguson stating that he made alterations to his team, which takes on Real Madrid in the Champions League this week, after learning that City were beaten 3-1 by Southampton on Saturday.
"Yes I did. I thought I'd make seven changes but when the City result happened yesterday I thought it would be a more important game today for us because it gives us a comfortable lead," he told Sky Sports.
"We knew if we got a result today it would put us in a fantastic position. We can make changes later in the season."
Veteran Ryan Giggs and star striker Robin van Persie scored first-half goals as United gave themselves a commanding lead on the rest of the competition with 12 matches remaining.
