Man United 1-0 Liverpool: Rio Ferdinand's dramatic late header ensured Manchester United both saw off Liverpool 1-0 at Old Trafford and closed the gap on league leaders Chelsea.
For once Jose Mourinho's champions slipped up at Stamford Bridge, being held to a 1-1 draw by Charlton and giving the Reds of Merseyside and Manchester a glimmer of hope.
And the Blues' lead at the top is now 14 points after United secured victory with a late surge which resulted in Ferdinand's heroics.
After a feisty but chanceless first half-hour, Liverpool went close on 35 minutes when Wes Brown charged down a fierce Peter Crouch strike.
United's first chance did not arrive until the 45th minute, when Ruud van Nistelrooy's left-footed effort was easy for Reds keeper Jose Reina.
With that in mind, Alex Ferguson sent on Louis Saha for John O'Shea at the break, while Crouch limped off with a dead leg and was replaced by Fernando Morientes.
Kieran Richardson fired high and wide just before the hour mark, while Wayne Rooney's scuffed shot was comfortably saved by Reina minutes later.
At the other end, Djibril Cisse spurned a glorious chance on 62 minutes. Ferdinand hacked his own goalbound clearance off the line to Harry Kewell, whose volley was saved by Edwin van der Sar but rebounded to the French striker, who panicked and steered his effort high over the bar.
The visitors had the momentum and Cisse failed to test van der Sar with a good headed chance on 65.
But United built up a head of steam as the game entered the last 10 minutes, with van Nistelrooy chipping a shot straight at Reina and Rooney fizzing a low 25-yard strike inches wide of the upright.
The late pressure was rewarded bang on 90 minutes, when Ryan Giggs floated in a dangerous free-kick which Ferdinand powerfully headed into the back of the net to spark delirious celebrations among the home fans.
