Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an 84th-minute header as Manchester United prevented Liverpool from recapturing second place in the Premier League table in a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Paul Pogba stood to be United's fall guy at Old Trafford after conceding a soft first-half penalty for handball, which James Milner converted, only for Ibrahimovic to save his blushes.
Ibrahimovic's 19th goal of the season extended United's unbeaten league run to seven games, but after winning the previous six, momentum has been lost.
Jose Mourinho's side remain sixth, four points off the Champions League places, while Liverpool rose one place to third, seven points below leaders Chelsea and beneath Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
After draws against Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle and a defeat at Southampton, Liverpool have gone four games without victory at the start of a calendar year for the first time since 1993.
But with United five points below them, Jurgen Klopp's men remain the more likely champions.
Everton, Chelsea win
Manchester City's Premier League title hopes were delivered a grievous blow on Sunday as Everton's inspired Romelu Lukaku and teenagers Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman made it another crushing afternoon for Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard suffered his biggest-ever defeat in league football after they paid for sloppy defending that led to the Belgian powerhouse Lukaku converting his 12th league goal of the season after 34 minutes.
Kevin Mirallas struck right after the break and excellent 18-year-old academy graduate Davies dinked a brilliant first goal for his boyhood club as City looked increasingly clueless.
Substitute Lookman, making his debut at 19, then completed the rout with his first touch in stoppage time.
Two goals from Marcos Alonso and another from Pedro helped Chelsea beat Premier League champions Leicester City 3-0 away and move seven points clear at the top on Saturday.
