Manchester United were behind after a minute and reduced to 10 men but still recorded victory in a pulsating match at White Hart Lane that ended Tottenham Hotspur's 100 per cent start to the Barclays Premier League season.
Spurs were ahead less than a minute into the Barclays Premier League match when Jermain Defoe acrobatically found the net to continue his hot streak of goalscoring.
Defoe spent the summer in the gym bulking up his physique and the result has been an explosive start to the campaign - his spectacular opener after 50 seconds was his eighth in as many matches for club and country.
The chance was created following a loose pass by Dimitar Berbatov to Darren Fletcher, allowing Wilson Palacios to slide in. Robbie Keane shifted the ball to Benoit Assou-Ekotto and his cross to the far post saw Crouch challenge Nemanja Vidic.
Vidic appeared to get the last touch as the ball went into the danger zone, leaving Defoe to execute his overhead kick into the bottom corner.
The goal inevitably kick-started United. Scholes drove wide and Fletcher burst into the penalty area and forced Carlo Cudicini to parry at the near post. The Italian also saved from Berbatov's flicked header.
Crouch's height caused United problems, especially when he collected a long ball, flicked over Vidic and volleyed powerfully, with Ben Foster's footwork making the save look easy.
United's equaliser came from the familiar source of Giggs.
Palacios had received a yellow card for the tackle on Berbatov that led to the free-kick, 25 yards from goal. Giggs' set-play curled over Keane in the wall and into the top corner.
Berbatov had two chances shortly after, the first when he killed Anderson's pass and had his volley tipped over the crossbar. Then one rebound was cleared off the line after Wayne Rooney's effort was saved, and another went over when the ball was worked back to the Bulgaria striker.
The action never stopped - Lennon thought he was caught off the ball, while Crouch headed over from a Tom Huddlestone corner.
Anderson's goal came four minutes before the break. The Brazil midfielder drilled into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after Scholes' long-range effort was blocked by Ledley King.
Spurs brought on Jermaine Jenas for Palacios at the interval, and there was the same pace and intensity when play got under way again.
Scholes was booked for tripping Defoe, then King was cautioned for exacting revenge a minute later.
Jenas, returning from a calf injury for his first appearance of the season, curled an effort that Foster tipped around the post, with Crouch hitting the crossbar from the corner.
Scholes received his marching orders just before the hour mark for his second caution, this time for a clumsy tackle on Huddlestone.
United's response was to bring on Michael Carrick for Berbatov to add numbers in midfield.
Carrick's quick pass to Rooney set the England striker off down the left and he cut inside to force Cudicini into a save that came off the woodwork.
Rooney's goal came 12 minutes from full-time. He raced onto Fletcher's pass and cut inside Alan Hutton before squeezing his finish through Cudicini's legs.
