Manchester United destroyed a plucky Everton side with a three-goal blast inside the last seven minutes when, for most of the game, it looked as if the visitors' resolve would earn them at least a point. Despite Sir Alex Ferguson describing it as 'one of the best games I have seen here for many a day' his side found it difficult to break down a stubborn Everton team that frustrated United, despite lengthy periods of domination.
The home side pressed Everton from the outset and at times the visitors' defence looked shaky and uncertain. At the other end Laurent Blanc was looking so comfortable you were left wondering if there would ever be a threat on Barthez's goal. No such problem at the other end and David Beckham sneaked behind a slack Gravesen but got the ball caught behind him and struck his eventual shot over the bar.
It wasn't until the 17th minute that United had their first real opening and it really should have brought them the lead. Giggs flicked a header through to put Ruud Van Nistelrooy in but the Dutchman, still struggling to score from open play in domestic football, curled his right foot shot just past the far post. Six minutes later Giggs dinked the ball into Scholes who almost wrong-footed Wright with the most subtle of headers.
Everton were matching United for workrate, even though the difference in class was clearly evident, but had to wait until six minutes from the interval before they produced their first meaningful threat on the United goal. A four-man passing move swept into the United box and Radzinski laid the ball off for Kevin Campbell to shoot just wide.
Early in the second half John O'Shea played a lovely ball down the right to send Gary Neville over-lapping down the flank but when he put in a superb cross three United players conspired to get in each others way as the ball arrived in the six-yard box. Seconds later that opening was followed by a piece of exquisite control then a chipped pass from Veron to play Silvestre down the line but when his cross went in Giggs headed over from a good position.
Just past the hour Ferguson sent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on for Veron but it was Everton who threatened instead. Radzinski, who had been having a torrid evening, latched onto a Campbell pass to force a save out of Barthez. United responded by upping the pace but when Van Nistelrooy wasted a chance, with the miss of the night, observers were left wondering if it was just going to be one of those nights.
The opening came when David Unsworth mis-cued a header to present the Dutch striker with a gaping goal that cried out 'please score' but instead of attempting a placed header he let the ball drop lower before blasting it yards over the crossbar.
As United's domination grew so did their fans frustration at the team's inability to pierce a stubborn Everton rearguard. David Moyes sent on 'wonderkid' Wayne Rooney after 74 minutes but it was United who almost scored with a sweeping four-man move that ended with Scholes firing just past the angle of post and bar. Rooney then responded by sending Campbell through to force a save from Barthez.
The breakthrough almost came in the 78th minute with a piece of typical skill from David Beckham. The United skipper lifted a delicate lob over Richard Wright, who was hopelessly beaten, only to see it hit the top of the bar. Shortly afterwards the watching throng saw what all the fuss is about with Wayne Rooney. The 16-year-old took a long pass from Campbell, on the half way line, turned Silvestre as if it was playground football, and set of towards goal with the force of an express train. Scholes was then brushed aside and as Giggs received the same treatment Rooney managed to get in a shot, which forced a sprawling save out of Barthez.
With five minutes left it was as if United decided they had tired of faffing about and Everton were swept away as a red mist of goals descended on them and Scholes drove home after a Beckham cross fell to him after Van Nistelrooys challenge carved out the opening.
With one minute left of normal time it became 2-0 when Van Nistelrooy netted his third penalty of the season after David Weir had pulled back Solskjaer and was sent off. Two minutes of stoppage time had elapsed when Scholes inflicted his second goal on Everton and what a stunner it was.
United built a move from deep in midfield and as Scholes moved forward several teammates ran in different directions to pull Everton asunder and when Forlan moved to the left Scholes used the space to hit the sort of rocket shot that Old Trafford used to relish in Bobby Charlton's heyday. The ball flew past Wright with such pace that his hair must have been singed with the afterburn.
Credit must go to Everton for their resolve, although the class was missing and credit too, to United, for grinding out a result without playing at the top of their game. After the match skipper Beckham said United never stopped believing they could win, and keep the pressure on Arsenal.
Man of the Match Beckham said: "We knew if we kept going the chances would come and it would just be a case of putting them away. We were a bit sluggish throughout the game but in the last five minutes or so we got the chances to finish it off."
The victory put United fourth, six points behind Arsenal, but Beckham added: "Obviously Arsenal are a great team and doing well but it is just up to us. We are only interested in what we are doing though we dont want anyone to get too far away from us."
Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Everton, saying: "That was the best Everton side that has been here for years. They came here with fantastic belief in themselves. Their front players were a handful all night and we really had to perform well to win that game."
Fergie added that the score didn't really reflect the true story of the game, admitting: "That wasn't a 3-0 scoreline, it was a false scorline."
Everton boss David Moyes, once touted as Fergie's successor at Old Trafford, was almost bemused at going away pointless from Old Trafford. He admitted: "We are devastated because we don't think we deserved that.I thought we contained Manchester United and for about 86 minutes it looked as if it was going to be a 0-0 draw."
Moyes also said: "The players have done well tonight and I think we had one of the best chances when Wayne Rooney got through...I expected us to come here and get something from the game but we didn't do that so I'm disappointed."
