The league table now has a more acceptable look for Manchester United, yet anxiety lingers. Although Sir 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.
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 OK."
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. That, plus an Andrew Johnson header cleared off the line by Scholes, was as close as Everton came to breaching United's rearguard.
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 head for Portugal tomorrow buoyed by the knowledge that they have begun to amend their faltering start to the season. "Sometimes it's more important not to lose a goal," said Vidic. "The good thing is the midfield and defence are tight and not conceding," added Van der Sar. They are sounding, and performing, like the team they replaced as champions.
The Torygraph
Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre was last night ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in the first half of this nail-biting victory. The injury, as well as being a massive blow for 30-year-old Silvestre, will take the shine off a result that had Sir Alex Ferguson comparing Nemanja Vidic to Old Trafford legend Steve Bruce.
There were a generous seven minutes remaining at Goodison Park when Vidic transformed what should have been a goalless draw into the three points that took a Manchester United that are still not at ease with themselves back into the top four. Although he is still capable of the odd jig these days, Ferguson neglected to dance with Carlos Queiroz but, come the reckoning in May, this may prove just as precious as Bruce's goals.
The son of a bank clerk and the husband of an economics graduate from Belgrade University, Vidic understands value for money. When he joined United last year for £7.5?million, he was said to be over-priced since a clause in his contract with Spartak Moscow allowed him to leave for almost half that sum.
When he arrived in Manchester, Vidic found himself living in a hotel, "detached from everything" and struggling with the language. When he did play, he found the Premier League so physical he likened it to a boxing match. You wondered how long he might last.
These days, nobody questions Vidic's transfer fee; he cost the same and wears the same No?15 shirt as Kleberson, a man whose contribution to United was less than that of the club mascot. In the five-a-sides at Carrington, they know he is as tough as the copper his father used to make in a Serbian factory. With the possible exception of John Terry, there is not a centre-half as strong and as lethal at a corner kick.
The Indie
Hampered by injuries, suspensions, a dearth of strikers and makeshift XIs featuring young newcomers, Manchester United sit inside the top four, within a win of the top, after three consecutive 1-0 victories. A stutter? This is how thoroughbreds stutter.
That is not to say there is no cause for concern. United have scored just four league goals. And they have only two proven centre forwards, Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha, neither of whom you would wager a metatarsal on that they will have fully fit campaigns.
But as Rooney himself might say, the Big Man is almost back. In fact, he will be back on Wednesday for the Champions League match at Sporting Lisbon. So too will Owen Hargreaves, also absent for this Saturday lunchtime snooze. Gary Neville will also soon return to add guile. And if eking out wins is not what United fans would wish for - this one was sealed by a late surge into the box from Nemanja Vidic to head home Nani's corner - then idling to remain in Premiership contention is a Plan B most rivals would accept.
"It was a battle, really," Sir Alex Ferguson said. (He could have replaced "battle" with "slog" and been more accurate.) "Everton laid down the gauntlet and it was a very aggressive performance by them. They work their socks off. It looked to me like it was going to be a draw to be honest with you, but we got the lifeline with Nemanja's goal. It wasn't a great performance, but it was a decent performance."
Cristiano Ronaldo returned from a three-match ban to start as the right winger, but only nominally, as he roamed across the front line trying to support Carlos Tevez, who in turn was playing just off a lone front man, Ryan Giggs. The Portugal international had one first-half shot deflected. He was also booked in the second period for falling in the box. It was not after the sternest of tackles but neither was it too cynical.