Premiership Review:Manchester United moved six points clear in the Premiership title race with a 2-0 home win over Sheffield United last night.
Goals from Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney on four and 50 minutes respectively ensured United saw off the battling Blades to pile the pressure back on Jose Mourinho's defending champions Chelsea, who face struggling West Ham at Upton Park tonight.
Neil Warnock's men fell behind early on, with Carrick latching onto Cristiano Ronaldo's slick pass and dinking the ball over Paddy Kenny.
Tomasz Kuszczak saved Michael Tonge's free-kick as the Blades fought back - and Kenny denied Rooney's close-range shot on six minutes before seeing Paul Scholes steer a follow-up effort over the crossbar.
Tonge had another effort saved and the lively Luton Shelton, playing as a lone striker for the visitors, fired into the sidenetting before United's injury crisis worsened when Patrice Evra was crudely fouled by Colin Kazim-Richards and had to be replaced by Kieran Richardson.
Rooney steered a header straight at Kenny on 34 minutes - but was celebrating five minutes after the interval after controlling Ryan Giggs' sublime throughball and clinically smashing a half-volley past the keeper.
The busy stopper kept out Alan Smith's fierce strike with his chest and turned Ronaldo's low drive around the upright before also saving a shot from Giggs with his legs.
But the Blades were also posing a threat on the break, with Phil Jagielka firing a rising 20-yard drive over the bar before both Shelton and Danny Webber were narrowly off target with efforts.
The visitors were denied a penalty on 69 minutes when referee Rob Styles ignored Gabriel Heinze's foul on Shelton in the box - and Tonge rattled the crossbar with a 20-yard strike in the dying minutes.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal leapfrogged Liverpool into third place after securing a 3-1 victory over Manchester City.
The Gunners went into the interval tied at 1-1 with City after DaMarcus Beasley cancelled out Tomas Rosicky's opener.
But second-half goals from Cesc Fabregas and Julio Baptista saw Arsenal move onto 62 points - one ahead of fourth-placed Liverpool.
Rosicky drew first blood for the hosts on 12 minutes when he volleyed home a teasing cross from Emmanuel Eboue on the right.
Abou Diaby went off with head injury and Fabregas' 25-yard drive was palmed away by City keeper Andreas Isaakson.
But City drew level on 41 minutes when Jens Lehmann's hashed clearance fell to Joey Barton, who fed Michael Johnson who in turn set up the overlapping Beasley to fire home an angled shot.
It could have been 2-1 to City before the break but Lehmann saved Barton's strike - and also denied the same player just after the interval.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb both wasted decent chances but the Gunners once again took the lead on 73 minutes, when Fabregas smashed home a 25-yard piledriver.
And sub Baptista, who had come on for Diaby, added the third goal with 10 minutes remaining to make the points safe.