Everton hurt United’s hopes

Third-placed Arsenal closed the gap on United to two points with their 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium where Niklas Bendtner scored after 27 minutes and Cesc Fabregas scored a stoppage-time penalty.

Everton stunned United with two goals in the final 14 minutes from substitutes Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell.

Everton had won only one of their previous 29 league games against United and lost 13 of the last 17 at Goodison to them. That record looked like it might remain intact when Dimitar Berbatov put United ahead with a powerful shot that went in off the underside of the bar after 16 minutes.

Everton though,missing injured midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill,equalised two minutes later through striker Diniyar Bilyaletdinov,who was first to react from a clearance by Jonny Evans and lashed a left-foot screamer away from Edwin van der Sar into the net.

Gosling,a 20-year-old midfielder signed from Plymouth Argyle two years ago,replaced Bilyaletdinov after 71 minutes and put Everton 2-1 up five minutes later with a shot from close range from Steven Pienaar’s cross.

Rodwell,18,who replaced Pienaar after 88 minutes,scored Everton’s third two minutes later after a surging run that took him into the United area where he fired wide of Van der Sar to seal Everton’s first win over United since 2005.

West Ham United pulled away from the relegation zone and left Hull City perilously close to it following their 3-0 win at Upton Park where Hull had Craig Fagan sent off. Valon Behrami,Carlton Cole and Julien Faubert scored for the Hammers.