THE INDIE
If Jose Mourinho really believes in conspiracy theories in English football, he could have a field day with this one. Manchester United, two-nil down, were thrown a lifeline by Everton's stand-in goalkeeper, then gifted three further goals, one of them knocked into his own net by the former United hero Phil Neville. Combined with Chelsea's second successive draw, it all means that United, with their vastly superior goal difference, need only four more points - at most - to become champions, even if they should lose at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday week.
The jubilant travelling support managed to hold back until the final whistle but could wait no longer. Taking the risk of tempting fate in the manner that their devil-may-care team do every week, they let rip with: "Champions! Champions!"
Sir Alex Ferguson, having raced on to the pitch in celebration, did not seem inclined to disagree. There is work to be done yet, but it would take defeat by Manchester City next Saturday to throw United off course now.
Everton appeared to be capable of doing that soon after half-time when Manuel Fernandes struck a second goal on the break to add to Alan Stubbs' early free-kick. United simply threw even more men forward, dominating the rest of the game and scoring four times in the final half-hour to total an extraordinary 122 goals in all competitions this season. The identity of three of the scorers was a surprise: John O'Shea offered hope with the first; Neville put through his own goal for the equaliser; and Chris Eagles, a substitute, wrapped things up in added time. The crucial goal, however, had an inevitable feel about it, Wayne Rooney shrugging off the boos from those who once idolised him to record his 23rd goal of the season.
Everton will be paid an extra £500,000 if United win the title, as part of Rooney's transfer fee. That will hardly compensate them for the misery of this defeat, which they will have regarded as self-inflicted, the first three goals all stemming from horrible defensive errors. With Tim Howard ineligible, Iain Turner from Stirling Albion was in goal and his mistake in dropping a corner at O'Shea's feet offered United the psychological boost they needed.
"That was a big turning point," said Everton's manager David Moyes. "That maybe gave them the slice of luck they needed. I don't think they'd have got back into the game without that."
That was highly debatable, for Everton were only ever in control of the match during the first quarter of an hour. "I can't explain the game," Ferguson said. "I didn't think we did badly but they had two great strikes and that can happen. I never thought we were out of it even at two-nil down. The most important thing is that we're having a go." United do not know any other way, which is why neutrals everywhere should welcome their impending coronation.
At times in the first half, however, they were second to the ball and did not get the best from a formation in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked the right flank and Rooney the left, with Ryan Giggs flitting behind Alan Smith down the middle. Whether it was the emotion generated by the death of Alan Ball - his children laid a wreath at the Gwladys Street end before kick-off - Everton's own pursuit of a Uefa Cup place or simple dislike of United, the home side were the more impressive early on. They had a goal to their name after 12 minutes, before Turner had even been tested.
THE OBSERVER
Manchester United showed patience as well as poise in coming back from two goals down to put one hand on the Premiership trophy. Sir Alex Ferguson was relaxed enough to keep Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench even when Everton scored their scintillating second in the 50th minute, because he felt he had enough quality on the pitch both to create and convert chances.
So it proved, and a combination of four goals in the last half-hour and the scoreline from Stamford Bridge had Ferguson dancing on the touchline at the end. With Chelsea failing to win again, the title could be decided next weekend, if United win the Manchester derby and Chelsea cannot beat Arsenal at The Emirates. 'Obviously, a five-point lead is significant with three games to play,' Ferguson said. 'The momentum is back with us now, though you can never count your chickens in football. Look at the way the game went today. I can't explain that, but it's football.'
Everton supporters had a few explanations for the way the game went, ranging from criminally poor defending to the £500,000 bonus the club will receive by virtue of Wayne Rooney's transfer negotiation, should United win the title. United are famous for comebacks, although when the team in front are as generous as Everton this one cannot rank with Turin or Barcelona, no matter how significant the result.
The game was full of ironies. The best goal of the afternoon was scored by a Portuguese winger who has no chance of being footballer of the year. United equalised through an own goal by the Everton captain, playing against his old club. A mistake by rookie goalkeeper Iain Turner, playing only because United held Everton to the strict terms of Tim Howard's original loan deal, cost the home side dear. But the greatest irony of all was Rooney scoring and creating the last two goals on the day Goodison mourned Alan Ball.
Ball's memory was cheered for minutes on end, and Rooney was booed for just as long. Ball was Everton's last international icon, Rooney was supposed to be their latest, but the club's status has diminished in the intervening years. It would be harsh to say they now know how Blackpool must have felt in the 1960s - not when Everton are challenging for a Uefa Cup place - although tours of the two club's trophy rooms would show certain similarities.
There was nothing wrong with the way Everton started. Joleon Lescott headed against the bar after three minutes and Alan Stubbs put them ahead 10 minutes later, his somewhat ambitious drive from a free-kick 30 yards out being lifted over Edwin van der Sar by a crucial deflection off Michael Carrick. Rooney went close a couple of times before the interval, but otherwise Everton's policy of retreating into defence and leaving James Vaughan on his own up front looked capable of smothering United's disjointed attacking efforts.
If there was surprise when Ronaldo failed to appear after the interval, there was amazement when United's only response to going two down was to send on Kieran Richardson. Manuel Fernandes, on loan from Benfica but with his value rising with each impressive display, collected Mikel Arteta's pass and completely ignored Wes Brown's attempt to block him as he lashed a shot past Van der Sar from the edge of the area before saluting the Gwladys Street End in a manner reminiscent of Ball.
Everton fans need a little more than a two-goal lead to start to party, however, and a match-turning incident on the hour showed why. Turner claimed a Giggs corner then dropped it under no pressure, allowing John O'Shea to score. Almost without trying, United were back in the game. Now Ronaldo came on, in time to meet a Carrick corner after 68 minutes with a header that caused such consternation on the Everton line that Phil Neville beat his own goalkeeper.
There was only going to be one conclusion to the game now, and sure enough Rooney provided it. He had already missed a decent chance from a Giggs pass, taking the ball too far round the goalkeeper, but when Tony Hibbert passed straight to Ronaldo 11 minutes from the end Rooney was on the end of O'Shea's cross to score at the far post. Ronaldo surprisingly wasted a glorious chance of a fourth just before the end when with all the time and space in the world he too could not find a way round Turner, but in stoppage time substitute Chris Eagles applied the coup de grace by running on to Rooney's delicately timed pass to finish confidently for his first United goal.
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
As United celebrated their final goal, manager Sir Alex Ferguson turned away from the pitch to cross and uncross his arms across his chest like a referee calling off a fight. And there was no doubt among his club's ecstatic supporters that they had just witnessed the knockout blow in the greatest Premiership title race for years.
Just after two o'clock, when United went two down, with Chelsea beating Bolton, it was Ferguson and his team who were on the ropes and looking as though they would never last the distance. But the season's most remarkable comeback, aided by a goalkeeping blunder and an own goal, saw United players holding their alarms aloft at the final whistle.
It's been a heavyweight contest, a footballing equivalent of Frazier-Ali. But now it is surely just a case of when and where Ferguson celebrates his ninth Premiership win and the one that will give him the greatest satisfaction. Will it be next Sunday, when Fergie is at home with his family, if news comes through that his best pal Arsene Wenger has sent his Arsenal team out to beat Chelsea? Or will it be delivered even more sweetly with a draw or a win at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday week?
There is no doubt that Fergie would prefer the winning moment to come with a handshake from Jose Mourinho at the end of the game at the Bridge. But with the Treble still a realistic ambition, he wants the title locked up as soon as possible, so that he can concentrate on the FA Cup and the Champions League, assuming United can overcome AC Milan on Wednesday.
What a strange seven days it has been for United. Managing only a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford last Saturday, a disappointed Ferguson seemed almost ready to throw in the towel, saying that his team had opened the door to Chelsea. When Manuel Fernandes exploited the gaping holes in United's defence by scoring Everton's second goal five minutes into the second half, it was hanging off its hinges.
Afterwards, as United players hugged each other, you would have thought it was all planned as Ferguson said: "With the players we have got, it was waiting to happen. It's too early to count our chickens but this has given us a marvellous chance with three games to go.'' Asked if he would give a thank-you hug to his pal Sam Allardyce, whose Bolton team drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge, Ferguson said: "He'll get a hug and a kiss. Maybe two kisses."
United, however, might have been kissing goodbye to their title hopes had it not been for their foresight in insisting that their former goalkeeper Tim Howard could not play against them when he made his loan deal at Goodison permanent a few months ago.
By the time Fernandes' shot flew past Van der Sar, they were probably opening the champagne in south-west London. Then Phil Neville, who won six titles at Old Trafford, gave his old team a massive shove towards another when he panicked after Cristiano Ronaldo headed down Carrick's corner and shot the ball into his own net.
With 23 minutes still to go, there was no need for United to panic, though Everton ought to have sent for Corporal Jones. A mistake by Tony Hibbert allowed Wayne Rooney to take his time before clipping the ball past Turner and then a delightful ball from Rooney sent substitute Chris Eagles, 21, racing in on goal.
He provided the calmest of finishes for his first United goal, making him the 20th player to score for United this season. That is why they are now only a heartbeat from the title. Everton, still looking for points to cement a European place, were stunned by United's response, but on the day when they said an emotional farewell to their greatest ever hero, Alan Ball, helped by his former midfield team-mates Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall, the loss of a mere three points could not be measured against the loss of their favourite son.
SUNDAY TIMES
Jose Mourinho all but conceded the Premiership title yesterday after a day of high drama, when Chelsea's failure to beat Bolton at home and Manchester United's 4-2 victory at Everton left United five points clear at the top of the table.
The top two still have three league matches to play, but a vastly superior goal difference means that Sir Alex Ferguson's team are effectively six points clear, and United will be enthroned as champions next weekend if they beat neighbours Manchester City and Chelsea fail to defeat Arsenal at the Emirates stadium. United would love to be able to celebrate the title at Eastlands but they will have to keep the bubbly on ice because Chelsea do not play until 24 hours later.
At one stage yesterday, with Chelsea 2-1 up and United trailing 2-0, the odds had shifted in favour of the defending champions, but the rally which saw Ferguson's men score four goals in the second half and Kevin Davies gain a point for Bolton changed all that. Come tea time, United were 50-1 on for the title they last won four years ago.
Mourinho, deflated by the day's events, said he felt "sad" and pointed out that the match long billed as the title decider, when United visit Chelsea on May 9, could now be almost irrelevant. "They can come to Stamford Bridge and lose and still be champions," he admitted. Had his team blown the title? "Almost," he said. "Mathemetically there isa chance, and when the chance is still there you have to believe and chase it."
But then his head dropped and he said: "They have to lose two matches and Chelsea have to win all three. United will feel under no pressure now."
Ferguson was overjoyed. Trailing 2-0 at half-time at Goodison, United needed luck to get back into the match — and they got it. First, Everton's reserve goalkeeper Iain Turner dropped a cross for John O'Shea to equalise before the Blues' former United defender Phil Neville put through his own goal to level the scores.
"The momentum is back with us," he said. "We have a five-point lead and a superior goal difference, giving us a marvellous chance with three games left. But the most important thing is that my lads are having a real go. If you do that, and with the finishers we have in our side, we are always likely to score. This result is very significant. We are now away to Manchester City next Saturday, having been to Milan for the Champions League semi-final, and we know what that can do to players. It is very difficult. Then we have Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, so we cannot count our chickens yet, but I think the marvellous attitude of our players and the spirit they show is going to keep helping us."
Aware that the Premiership race was run and lost, Mourinho turned to Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, and admitted that here, too, Chelsea had problems. Ricardo Car-valho, who injured a knee yesterday and had to be replaced after 28 minutes, will not recover in time for the decisive second leg, at Anfield. "He has been our best defender all season," said the Chelsea manager. "We lost at Liverpool in the Premiership without him and must go there without him again. Of course it's bad news."