Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton on Sunday and slipped down to third place in the Premier League.
Four days after United’s early Champions League exit, the team failed to take advantage of their numerous chances at their Old Trafford stadium.
The draw means United fell one place to third, behind Liverpool on goal difference and 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Everton took the lead after seven minutes when James McFadden scored from a tight angle that United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar couldn’t stop.
United levelled in the 15th, with Ryan Giggs running past the Everton defence to get on the end of a long Paul Scholes pass and score into the corner.
Wayne Rooney, leading the attack against his former club because Ruud van Nistelrooy was suspended, had several chances throughout.
Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright needed to stretch to keep out his header and the England striker also headed the ball over the bar in the first half.
Rooney also had one of the last chances of the match, but his free kick was pushed away by Wright. Phil Neville made his first trip to Old Trafford since moving to Everton at the beginning of the season and played against his brother, Gary.
Everton moved up two places to 15th with the draw.
United were eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage for the first time in 10 years when they lost 2-1 at Benfica.
United won the competition in 1999. Manager Alex Ferguson said the team have to ”grit our teeth and get on with it”.
”Whilst we bitterly regret our defeat in Lisbon, there is no time for recrimination,” Ferguson wrote in the game’s programme. ”We must be determined to respond the right way and I know the players will because they are loyal, honest and committed.”
On Saturday, Fernando Morientes scored twice in five minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough and lift them into second place.
Liverpool are 12 points behind leaders Chelsea, which beat Wigan 1-0 on a John Terry goal. The match was Liverpool’s 10th straight clean sheet, equalling a club record set during the 1987/88 season.
Arsenal fell further behind the leaders when they lost 1-0 to Newcastle — their second straight defeat and fifth this season.
Chelsea have 43 points, followed by Liverpool and Manchester United with 31. Tottenham and Bolton are tied with 27, one more than sixth-placed Arsenal.
In other matches, it was Birmingham 1, Fulham 0; Blackburn 3, West Ham 2; Bolton 1, Aston Villa 1; Charlton 2, Sunderland 0; and West Bromwich Albion 2, Manchester City 0. — Sapa-AP