▁table . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁loss ▁to ▁Ch else a , ▁United ▁wel com ed ▁Ever ton ▁to ▁Old ▁Tra ff ord ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁November . ▁With ▁Ber bat ov ▁out ▁injured , ▁this ▁gave ▁Michael ▁O wen ▁a ▁spot ▁in ▁the ▁starting ▁ 1 1 . ▁Tom asz ▁K usz cz ak ▁also ▁started ▁ahead ▁of ▁Ben ▁F oster ▁due ▁to ▁Van ▁der ▁Sar ' s ▁injury . ▁United ▁had ▁early ▁ch ances ▁but ▁found ▁it ▁very ▁difficult ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁ball ▁in ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁net . ▁Ever ton ▁created ▁few ▁ch ances ▁and ▁were ▁saved ▁by ▁Le ight on ▁B aines ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Y ob o ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁ 2 0 ▁minutes ▁as ▁the ▁To ff ees ▁held ▁on . ▁United ▁turned ▁possession ▁into ▁goals ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 5 th ▁minute ▁when ▁Ev ra ' s ▁cross ▁was ▁laid ▁off ▁by ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Antonio ▁Val encia ▁to ▁Dar ren ▁F let cher , ▁who ▁em ph atically ▁d ril led ▁home ▁a ▁spect ac ular ▁half - vol ley ▁past ▁the ▁out st retch ed ▁and ▁former ▁Red ▁Tim ▁Howard ▁in ▁goal ▁for ▁the ▁Mer se ys iders . ▁Michael ▁O wen ▁had ▁a ▁half ▁chance ▁to ▁extend ▁the ▁lead ▁for ▁United ▁shortly ▁before ▁half ▁time ▁when ▁he ▁tim ed ▁his ▁run ▁perfectly ▁to ▁stay ▁on side ▁and ▁l atch ▁onto ▁Wayne ▁Ro oney ' s ▁sk il ful ▁f lick . ▁However , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁done ▁well ▁to ▁score ▁from ▁the ▁tight