Everton 0 Manchester Utd 1:The league table now has a more acceptable look for Manchester United, yet anxiety lingers. Although Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes looked relaxed at Goodison Park, the United manager waving to supporters during a pitch-side interview and the midfielder taking on five infant Evertonians in a post-match kickabout, confirmation the champions are not entirely comfortable came in the players' tunnel.
There stood Rio Ferdinand engrossed in the closing moments of Liverpool's televised game at Fratton Park.
The final whistle and the loss of two points by a rival title contender brought a clenched-fist salute and shout of delight from the England defender, a reaction no doubt repeated when Chelsea were later held at home by Blackburn.
The margin for error has diminished for United in respect of retaining their title and they are open to outside help while waiting for players and form to return. In the meantime, they have taken to the unFerguson-like method of chiselling victory through resilience and set-piece prowess, personified by the 83rd-minute header from Nemanja Vidic that checked Everton's improvement and restored United to top-four prominence.
"We knew we could get a goal like we did. We came for that and we got it," was the revealing admission from the Serbian centre-half who, with a fine near-post run in a game that had appeared destined for a draw, stole enough space on Joseph Yobo and Tony Hibbert to head Nani's corner into the Gwladys Street goal.
Three successive 1-0 wins have repaired United's season while their authority and their penetration have been suspect. Carlos Tevez has worked tirelessly without a telling reward and Vidic and Ferdinand, hugely impressive here, have been their outstanding performers.
They now have a platform to progress and, with Wayne Rooney denied his customary Goodison reception in favour of a return against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday, Ferguson has finer options than to partner Ryan Giggs with the Argentinian in attack.
"That's the kind of defending you need to win titles," was Ferguson's view of a Ferdinand tackle to deny Victor Anichebe an 87th-minute equaliser for Everton.
"Once you do that, and when we get the other top players back and the consistency of performance, we will be okay."
Ferdinand's intervention arrived with the young Nigerian primed to convert after Edwin van der Sar had parried James McFadden's 20-yard attempt to score his third spectacular goal of the week.
With Yakubu Aiyegbeni making his Goodison debut alongside Johnson the new Everton attack combined promisingly before the record signing tired. Scholes volleyed United's best effort over the bar at the start of the second half, and might not have been on the pitch at all had Alan Wiley not shown leniency when the midfielder felled Mikel Arteta after collecting a yellow card for dissent.
United's Mikael Silvestre has been ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee.
