THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEMBLEY, England -- Manchester United won the Carling Cup with a 4-1 penalty shootout victory over Tottenham on Sunday that kept the English Premier League leader on course for an unprecedented five trophies this season.

After neither side scored through extra time, United goalkeeper Ben Foster stopped Tottenham's first shootout kick from Jamie O'Hara and David Bentley missed the third before Anderson hit the winner.

The victory gave United its second trophy of the season following December's Club World Cup title. The Red Devils also lead the Premier League by seven points, are in contention for the Champions League and play Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals next weekend.

"We're not going to get carried away with it," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said. "We'll keep our feet on the ground.

"A deflected shot goes off someone's backside at Fulham on Wednesday and you're out of the cup. Today proved that. Without Ben Foster, we'd have lost that."

United showed the resources it will have to draw upon if it is to triumph in its other competitions this season, introducing substitutes Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs and Anderson to bolster its lineup against a Tottenham side playing with confidence.

"They've got a big chance," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. "The league looks like it's going their way and you wouldn't bet against them."

Foster made two crucial saves during the match to deny Aaron Lennon and Darren Bent and prevent the defending champion from retaining the trophy. But United could've also won the match in regular time when Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored in the shootout with Giggs and Carlos Tevez, hit the post in injury time.

United's defence had appeared uncharacteristically shaky against a team 13 positions lower in the Premier League as Lennon continually ran at and past left back Patrice Evra, sending in cross after cross.

"He gave Evra, who with Ashley Cole is the best left back in the Premier League, a torrid time," Redknapp said.

Redknapp put substitute O'Hara on the left to help collect those crosses in the 65th minute, but that was toward the end of his team's most threatening spell. Foster saved Lennon's fierce shot in the 71st and then did the same to Bent in extra time.

"Tottenham are good opponents and they probably had better chances in the match," Ferguson said. "But Ben Foster made two or three good saves."

The difference between the teams seemed to be depth. While O'Hara and Bentley both missed penalties after coming on as substitutes, Giggs scored for United.

"We played the best team in Europe today and it wasn't their kids," Redknapp said. "Vidic comes on and Giggs comes on and you look at their team and it's very strong.

"They wanted to win as much as we did."

United made six changes to the side that tied 0-0 with Inter Milan on Tuesday but started each half strongly. Both times, though, Jermaine Jenas and Didier Zokora began to deny Paul Scholes space in midfield, forcing Tevez to drop deep in search of possession.

United was unable to convert its periods of possession into clear opportunities as Ronaldo put two free kicks over the bar and Tottenham defenders Michael Dawson and Ledley King made diving blocks to get in the way of efforts by Tevez and Darron Gibson.

Ronaldo had been subdued by Tottenham left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto for most of the match and his attacking efforts curtailed further by a 67th-minute yellow card for diving in the area. Nani and Tevez both went close for United, while Gibson and Rio Ferdinand both missed the target with long-range efforts.

Many of Spurs' best chances were wasted by Roman Pavlyuchenko, who put a free header high and wide while unmarked and did the same with a free kick before being replaced by O'Hara.

That allowed Luka Modric to push up in support of Bent and led to a period of sustained pressure as Zokora, Modric and Lennon probed patiently for an opening that eventually came in the 71st. Modric allowed a cross to run to Lennon on the right of the area and his hard shot sailed past Jonny Evans but was pushed away by Foster.

Spurs still threatened, particularly when Foster stopped Bent's rebound shot after Modric had an effort blocked, but United was too strong and the defence that until last weekend went a record 14 league games without conceding held out.

In Premier League action, West Ham moved up to seventh in the standings with a 1-0 win over Manchester City at Upton Park.

In other action, it was: Hull 1 Blackburn 2; Bolton 1 Newcastle 0; and Aston Villa 2 Stoke 2.

The Hammers were the better side in the first half and their stylish play finally produced a goal in the 71st minute, when City keeper Shay Given could only parry Savio's shot and Jack Collison turned in the rebound.

Blackburn moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference with the win at Hull, a fiery game that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.

Blackburn took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with two goals in three minutes.

In the 34th Stephen Warnock swept Roque Santa Cruz's pass into the top corner and Warnock then set up Keith Andrews for Blackburn's second on 36 minutes.

In the second half Hull manager Phil Brown decided to replace Brazilian midfielder Geovanni, provoking a chorus of booing from the home fans and their team was then reduced to 10 men in the 63rd minute.

Dean Marney and Morten Gamst Pedersen clashed in the air and as Marney got to his feet he aimed a kick at the Norway international, earning a straight red card from referee Martin Atkinson.

Pedersen, who was booked for his role in the challenge was then sent off in the 70th minute when he was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Kamil Zayette.

Hull pulled one back in the 78th minute when Iain Ashbee turned in Bernard Mendy's cross, but the Tigers have now gone 11 league games without winning. They stay 13th in the standings.

Bolton is 10th after a 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Reebok. Half-time substitute Ricardo Gardner had the lone goal of the game, scoring in the 47th minute.

Newcastle remains 15th, just two points clear of the relegation zone.