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  • Kick-off: 12:00
  • Venue: Old Trafford
  • Attendance: 75749
  • Referee: Webb, H

Live Commentary

90 mins

United win again at home to bring Everton's 13 match unbeaten run to and end and more importantly cut the gap on Arsenal to just one point.

90 mins

The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added on time.

87 mins

Ronaldo scores from the spot with a cool penalty, sending Howard the wrong way and placing it into right hand corner.

86 mins

Pienaar brings down Giggs with a trailing leg, sloppy play from the South African which has David Moyes holding his head in his hands.

86 mins

Rooney does well to work himself some room on the edge of the penalty area but the shot does match the work before it, striking it straight at Howard.

85 mins

Luis de Abreu Anderson is brought off to be replaced by Darren Fletcher.

84 mins

Everton bring off their goalscorer Tim Cahill and on comes Victor Anichebe.

83 mins

Steven Pienaar gets himself a booking after blatently handling the ball.

81 mins

Gravsen has a decent effort at goal from a freekick, the Dane driving it under the red wall but its easy for Kuszczak, who saves low down to his left.

79 mins

Saha plays Tevez in who looks to find Rooney and Giggs who are waiting at the far post, but it's a poor cross the ball going out of play before it reaches the two waiting players.

75 mins

Ayegbeni Yakubu comes off and Thomas Gravesen comes on to beef up Everton's midfield.

74 mins

Ronaldo fools everyone from the freekick, squaring it along the edge of the box for Rooney to run onto a strike, sending it inches over the bar.

70 mins

Michael Carrick is brought off as United look to go for the win with Louis Saha coming on.

67 mins

Yakubu drives towards goal and does well to lay if off to Pienaar in the area, the South African deciding to square it but Cahill and Johnson's communication breaks down and Anderson is able to clear it away from a dangerous position.

65 mins

Ronaldo finds Rooney with an early cross into the box, Rooney trying to turn it past Howard on the volley, but can't find the target, putting the ball wide.

60 mins

More United pressure results in a chance, Lescott's header falling to Carrick who catches it well but can't keep it down, sending it over the bar.

58 mins

Yakubu tries to create a goal of his own, turning Brown from a throw-in before smashing the ball towards goal, but its a dreaful effort, the ball sailing into the crowd.

57 mins

Johnson does well to get away from Vidic but the striker can't deliver the cross Yakubu was waiting for, sending it over everyone and out of play.

54 mins

Rooney slips in Tevez who drives his shot low, first time, the ball taking a deflection off the boot of Lescott whichmakes the save from Howard even better, the American gathering the ball at the second attempt.

53 mins

Tevez lobs in a high ball which Howard does well to claim under the challenge from Ronaldo.

52 mins

United are picking up where they left off, this time Ronaldo floating in a cross to the back post for Rooney who just can't quite reach the ball, sending it back across where Everton can finally clear.

50 mins

Giggs' corner cause mayhem in the box with Vidic nearly making contact, the ball eventually falling to Anderson on the edge of the boxwho tries to pass it in, the ball coming through a crowd of players and hitting Howard who knew little about it.

49 mins

Ronaldo slides in Tevez, who takes it past Yobo before his shot is deflected over by Carsley.

47 mins

Another corner for Everton, again taken by Pienaar who plays it short to Cahill, the cross eventually coming in and heaed away by Vidic.

46 mins

Everton win an early corner which Pienaar sends towards the near post, but it's dealt with by Ronaldo who pumps it upfield.

45 mins

Danny Simpson is brought off and on comes Mr versatile John O'Shea.

45 mins

Everton get the second half underway hoping to find another goal despite being under alot of pressure towards the end of the half.

45 mins

A good first half is drawn to a close by Howard Webb with both sides making a case for the lead, United just beginning to control the game as the half went on.

45 mins

Another great bit of slick play between Giggs and Ronaldo results in a nice chipped ball into the box by Giggs for Ronaldo who catches it with an acrobatic volley and sending it just inches over the bar.

45 mins

The fourth official indicates there will be twominutes of stoppage time.

44 mins

Ronaldo tries to strike the freekick over the wall, but its blocked by the sea of blue shirts who just crept forward to block the attempt.

43 mins

Anderson gets a booking after telling Mr Webb he felt Neville should be booked for an earlier challenge, nice to see that from Howard Webb.

42 mins

Giggs floats in another United and this time Lescott does well to beat Brown to the header and knock it away.

38 mins

Another good bit of pressure from United with an Evra cross headed away by Jagielka but only as far as Tevez who strikes it on the half volley but can only send it straight at Howard.

36 mins

Giggs' resulsting corner is flicked on by Carrick in the penalty area but no one is there to meet the cross and Yobo can clear.

36 mins

Giggs plays a really clever ball for Ronaldo to run onto in the penalty area but Yobo does well, closing down the shot from the Portuguese wizard.

34 mins

Yakubu finds himself out wide on the left and puts a hanging cross into the penalty area where Kuszczak does well to come off his line and fend off the aerial challenge from Cahill to claim the ball.

33 mins

Rooney works his way into the penalty area and tries a magnificent chip which beats Howards but Lescott does brilliantly to get back on the line to head it away, what a goal that would have been.

31 mins

Another bit of good play from Everton results in Yakubu receiving the ball on the edge of the area and turning it on for Neville whose shot leaves alot to be desired, bending it high and wide of goal.

29 mins

Giggs drifts in a corner towards the edge of the penalty area where Ronaldo meets it but can't direct it at goal, heading it well wide.

28 mins

A drop ball nearly ends in a nasty incident with Carsley stamping on the ball and nearly catching Rooney's foot in the process which sends the England forward into a rage, still a bit tense here at Old Trafford.

26 mins

Everton don't take long to get back on level terms thanks to Tim Cahill, Piennar whipping in a great cross to the back post where Cahill gets above Evra to head it past a stranded Kuszczak.

24 mins

United are beginning to click into gear, this time Evra tries a shot from a tight angle which Howard saves fairly easily at his near post.

22 mins

Ronaldo opens the scoring with another cracker, Tevez picking him out on the edge of the area where he cut inside Carsley and was given to much room, smashing a diping shot past Howard from 20 yards out.

19 mins

Everton launches a quick breakaway with Pienaar, the South African playing a clever through ball for Yakubu who tries to turn back across the face of goal but the on-rushing Kuszczak does well to smother the ball and claim it at the second attempt.

14 mins

Tony Hibbert gets himself a booking now as it all gets a bit fieisty here, this time Hibbert is booked for a two footed tackle on Evra.

12 mins

Tim Cahill gets himself a booking after a tackle on Carrick which Howard Webb deemed to be reckless.

11 mins

Lesott does well to out muscle Simpson and drive in a low cross towards Johnson in the middle but its intercepted by Kuszczak.

9 mins

Giggs whips in the corner towards the near post where its meet by a thumping header from Yobo to clear it away.

9 mins

Ronaldo plays a low ball across towards the near post where Rooney manages to turn it on for Tevez whose shot is deflected around the post by Jagielka from two yards, good chance for United.

8 mins

Pienaar launches another freekick in, this time from the left but withthe same result, Vidic heading it away this time.

8 mins

Patrice Evra becomes the second man to be booked after catching Hibbert very late.

7 mins

Tevez has the first shot of the game after Jagielka heads the ball away but only as far as Tevez who catches it on the volley but can only drive it high and wide.

5 mins

Pienaar whips in a freekick from the right in towards goal but Simpson climbs well to head it away from danger and out for a throw-in.

3 mins

Wayne Rooney goes into the book early on after diving in from behind on Cahill.

1 mins

Manchester United are just knocking the ball about in their own half as Everton sit back at the minute, certainly a cagey start to the game from both sides.

0 mins

Referee Howard Webb gets the game underway here at Old Trafford with United hoping to close the gap on Arsenal while the Toffees will be hpoing to continue their recent good form, United get the game underway.

0 mins

Everton XI: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Carsley, Cahill, Neville, Pienaar, Yakubu, Johnson

0 mins

Tim Howard, Ayegbeni Yakubu, Tim Cahill and Joseph Yobo all return to the squad after missing out the mid-week game against AZ Alkmaar. Mikel Arteta joins Leighton Baines, Leon Osman and Alan Stubbs on the treatment bench.

0 mins

Manchester United XI: Kuszczak, Simpson, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez

0 mins

Manchester United make three changes to the side that won at Anfield last week with Tomasz Kuszczak, Danny Simpson and Michael Carrick all coming into the starting line-up for Edwin van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves all out through injur

Match Report

Former Manchester United stars Tim Howard and Phil Neville are likely to face their former team after being rested for Everton's midweek UEFA Cup clash at AZ Alkmaar.

Toffees boss David Moyes opted to let several of his first-team regulars to miss the trip to the Holland as his side had already progressed to the last 32 of the competition.

Yakubu, Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill and Joseph Yobo were also left behind so that they could prepare for the busy festive programme.

Everton suffered a blow in the build-up to the short trip to Old Trafford though when it was confirmed that Leon Osman faces six weeks on the sidelines after picking up a toe injury in last weekend's 2-0 victory at West Ham United.

The all-action midfielder joins long-term absentees Alan Stubbs, Nuno Valente and Leighton Baines in the Goodison Park treatment room.

Moyes' side go into the game in fine form, the controversial derby defeat to Liverpool two months ago seemingly helping to kick-start their season.

They have taken 17 points from their last seven Premier League matches and have risen to sixth in the table.

However, it will be tough for Moyes' side to extend that run against a United side that is looking to keep the pressure on current leaders Arsenal.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team have won their last eight games at Old Trafford in all competitions since crashing out of the Carling Cup to Coventry City and have beaten Fulham, Derby County and Liverpool in December since surprisingly losing at Bolton.

Ji-Sung Park's comeback from a cruciate knee ligament injury was put on hold in midweek when the reserve team's clash against Oldham Athletic was postponed because of a frozen pitch, while Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Mikael Silvestre and Ben Foster remain on the long-term injury list.

Last season at Old Trafford, United strolled to a 3-0 victory against Everton, while in September Ferguson's side won 1-0 at Goodison.

Manchester United

Everton

Corners

8 2

Fouls

10 13

Goal attempts

19 4

Shots off target

7 2

Offsides

2 2

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