A single goal from Anthony Martial was enough to give United a 1-0 win over Everton.
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| Manchester United striker Anthony Martial celebrates scoring the only goal of the game. |
Anthony Martial scored the winner as Manchester United beat Everton 1-0 at Old Trafford to keep their top four hopes alive.
The striker netted United's 1,000th Premier League goal at Old Trafford in the second half to lift his side up to fifth in the table - just a point behind rivals Manchester City in fourth.
It means Louis van Gaal's side are left with a real opportunity to qualify for next season's Champions League with seven games left to play.
Everton, however, are left languishing in 12th in the Premier League after suffering their 10th defeat of a hugely frustrating campaign.
The atmosphere was electric at Old Trafford following an emotional pre-match tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton - the club renaming the south stand in his honor - and the home fans were nearly given even more to shout about after 17 minutes when Martial worked his way into the box before drilling a shot just wide of the far post.
Everton, who have done most of their good work this season on the road, were also showing plenty of attacking intent themselves in the early stages.
Gerard Deulofeu, starting as one of two changes made by Martinez, was causing plenty of problems down the right, while United goalkeeper David de Gea had to be alert on 26 minutes to rush out of his area and clear the ball away from Romelu Lukaku - who had got in behind following a slip by Chris Smalling.
Martinez also recalled John Stones to the starting line-up, and after 37 minutes the England defender brilliantly intervened to prevent Martial from having a clear sight of goal, perfectly timing a sliding tackle just inside the area to take the ball away from the United striker.
Van Gaal had named an unchanged line-up from the side that won the Manchester derby a fortnight ago, but he was forced into a change at half-time when Marcos Rojo picked up a knock, the Dutch boss putting on Timothy Fosu-Mensah in his place.
And Everton nearly took advantage of United's defensive reshuffle after 49 minutes, but Daley Blind eventually did superbly to get a block on Lukaku's close-range effort and steer it just wide.
Fosu-Mensah would, however, make the difference at the other end for United's opener after 54 minutes. On the charge the youngster picked up Marcus Rashford's flicked backheel, got into the box and played the ball across for Martial to finish at the far post.
Everton nearly leveled immediately as Phil Jagielka crashed a header from a corner onto the crossbar, before Jesse Lingard was mere inches from doubling United's lead, but couldn't quite get a toe onto Juan Mata's low cross as he slid in.
Martinez replaced Deulofeu with Kevin Mirallas with just under half an hour to go, but it took until the 83rd minute for the away side to test De Gea for the first time.
Jagielka again was causing problems from a corner as he forced United's goalkeeper into a point-blank save, before the impressive Fosu-Mensah intervened to keep Seamus Coleman's low cross from reaching Mirallas, who would have had a simple tap-in in the six-yard box to steal a point.