Everton 0 Manchester United 1: Nemanja Vidic nodded home a priceless winner seven minutes from time to complete a third successive single-goal triumph for champions Manchester United.
The Serbian's effort, a near-post header from Nani's corner, enabled United to record a 13th win in 16 visits to Goodison Park and also keep pace with their major rivals.
Taken in isolation, a victory at one of the Premier League's most progressive outfits is a cause for celebration. But Alex Ferguson knows his side's recent winning run is masking a few deficiencies in front of goal.
In six outings this season, United have still to score more than once even though Ferguson has added Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson to the top flight's most prolific attacking force last term.
And, with the Red Devils due to begin their Champions League campaign in Lisbon on Wednesday and Chelsea due at Old Trafford next weekend, he needs to find a cutting edge fast.
Having threatened to unleash Wayne Rooney on his old club, Ferguson did not even have the young striker on his bench, presumably deciding the risk to the foot fractured on the opening weekend of the new campaign was too great.
Still, even with Owen Hargreaves missing as well, it was something of a surprise to see Patrice Evra lining up on the left wing, as both Nani and Louis Saha — United's matchwinner against Sunderland a fortnight ago — were on the bench.
The experiment did not last a half, as Evra was quickly shoved back into the visitors' defence when Mikael Silvestre went down in agony as his knee buckled attempting to block Mikel Arteta's run forward.
Yet Evra had already shown his offensive talents, his raw pace possibly causing Everton more problems than Cristiano Ronaldo, who was well shackled by Leighton Baines on his return from a three-match ban.
Although United gradually assumed dominance in a swift-moving encounter, David Moyes' men succeeded in restricting them to a series of long-range efforts, with Michael Carrick among those to try his luck.
If the opening period had been short on goalmouth action, an expectant crowd did not have to wait long for a genuine chance in the second as Johnson rose to guide Arteta's corner towards the far post, only for Scholes to volley off the line.
Scholes was certainly in the thick of things and, when Tevez combined brilliantly with Giggs to set the midfielder up with a potential goal of the season, the midfielder could only thrash his volley over.
Tevez actually came closer with a long-range effort on the hour, the failure of which heralded the introduction of Saha for Giggs.
Yet, just as it appeared time was ticking down to yet another blank day for United, up popped Vidic at the near post to power home Nani's near-post corner.
Belatedly, Everton threw men forward looking for an equaliser and Scotland's midweek hero James McFadden had a shot magnificently saved by Van der Sar before Rio Ferdinand blocked Victor Anichebe's follow-up.
For a short while, it allowed United to assume a position at the Premier League summit but Ferguson needs to find a more potent blend up front if they are to stand a chance of being there when it really matters in May.
