LONDON (AP)

Now that Manchester United have regainedcontrol of the Premier League title race, manager Alex Ferguson hopes to make sure his team doesn't let Liverpool back in by losing at home to Tottenham on Saturday.

Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth opened up a three-point lead with a game in hand. But Ferguson warned his team, which recently let a seven-point advantage slip away, not to get complacent.

no leeway

"We have to put our foot down all the time and I don't think we have any leeway if we don't perform properly," Ferguson said after goals by Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick helped beat Ports-mouth. "There were times in the second half (against Ports-mouth) when I thought we were going to throw it away."

After being knocked out of the FA Cup by losing a penalty shoot-out to Everton at Wembley on Sunday, United's dream of winning five titles in one season is over. It already has the Club World Cup and the domestic League Cup and faces Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Champions League, which means it still has a good chance to win four titles.

Some of the pressure was taken off on Tuesday when second-place Liverpool, then one point behind, were held at home in a 4-4 thriller with Arsenal.