Gary Nevilles first goal of the season moved Manchester United closer to Chelsea with the 1-0 victory over Leicester on Tuesday and pushed the Foxes closer to relegation.
United remains comfortably third, three points behind Chelsea but Leicester, next to bottom, is now six points from safety with only five matches remaining.
In Tuesday's other game, second from last Leeds hit back to tie 1-1 with Everton at Elland Road.
Alex Fergusons men secured the three points with a minimalist performance which suggested they already have one eye fixed more firmly on next months FA Cup Final. Leicesters failings were shown up by their inability to take advantage of Uniteds fitful display.
"I think it was a bad performance," Ferguson said. "We were scrappy in our game. It was only for fleeting moments we were able to get fluency into our game. But what we did show tonight was that our back four was excellent. Leicester kept us under pressure."
The outgoing champions did have excuses.
Skipper Roy Keane is to defy the years by making an Irish Republic comeback while Barcelona-inspired transfer speculation swirls around Ruud van Nistelrooy. Yet physical stresses and strains denied United the services of both players against Leicester and United missed their leadership and focus.
Barring accidents both are certain to start in Cardiff next month though the same cannot be said for several of the stand-ins who struggled to push Leicester closer to the abyss.
Goalkeeper Roy Carroll would have raised the hopes of American Tim Howard, again on the substitutes bench, with a second-minute blunder which should cost United an instant goal.
Carroll side-footed a lazy clearance out to Muzzy Izzet, standing 10m away. The Leicester midfielder should have powered the ball straight back past Carroll. Instead surprise got the better of him and he skewed his shot across the face of goal.
Frenchman Louis Saha, deputizing for Van Nistelrooy, was Uniteds sharpest attacker. He went close on 16 minutes after twisting on to a through pass from Neville.
Nicky Butt and Diego Forlan had on-target efforts safety gathered by Leicester keeper Ian Walker while Marcus Bent headed wastefully wide at the other end from an Izzet free kick.
United tightened up in defense after halftime in the most effective way -- by pressing the visitors back deep into their own half. Ferguson's men had to wait just 11 minutes for their reward.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes had close-range shots blocked but there was no let-up for Leicester. Ronaldo sliced through the Foxes defense once more and rightback Gary Neville, of all people, advanced to thump his right-foot shot low past Walker.
The stand-in skippers first goal of the season lifted United towards a third win in a row and beleaguered Leicester towards a third successive defeat.
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