Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hailed his defence after their tenth consecutive cleansheet against Bolton.

United equalled Chelsea's record, set during their title-winning 2004/05 campaign, thanks to another water-tight display at the Reebok which helped ensure the Reds ended the afternoon on top of the Premier League.

"The back four has performed miracles in recent weeks and it's a great achievement," he told MUTV.

"Nemanja Vidic's performances have been absolutely magnificent and we were delighted to get Jonny Evans fit for this game because he's maturing with every match he plays. The two of them have been fantastic in the last few matches and we've had a very good spell defensively.

"By the time we get to the Everton game [on 2 February] I think we'll have both Rio [Ferdinand] and Wes [Brown] back from injury which will be a big bonus to us."