United battle back for extraordinary win

Two-nil down with not even 20 minutes of normal time to play, it had looked like being a bruising experience for Sir Alex Ferguson's team, but that would be to under-estimate the competitive strengths of this side and the enduring qualities that now see them five points clear of their nearest challengers.

As feats of escapology go, it was a remarkable comeback, culminating in Dimitar Berbatov scoring the decisive goal after 88 minutes, the vast majority of which United had been penned into their own half. Berbatov, increasingly the pivotal figure in United's quest for a record 19th title, had begun the recovery, with the substitute Javier Hern‡ndez drawing United level within two minutes.