A "desperate and frustrated" Manchester United was held to a 1-1 draw by Everton on Sunday as it failed to win in the Premier League four days after its early Champions League exit.
Manchester United failed to take advantage of numerous chances at its Old Trafford stadium. The draw means Manchester United fell one place to third, behind Liverpool on goal difference and 12 points behind leader Chelsea.
"I think we got a bit anxious in the second half," Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. "In fairness to the players, they were desperate to win it, they tried their best and put a lot of effort into it.
"They [Everton] played much better in the second half in terms of counterattack and I think that just made us a bit more desperate and frustrated.''
Chelsea has 43 points, followed by Liverpool and Manchester United with 31. Tottenham and Bolton are tied with 27, one more than sixth-placed Arsenal.
Everton took the lead after seven minutes when James McFadden scored from a tight angle that Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar couldn't stop.
Manchester United leveled in the 15th, with Ryan Giggs running past the Everton defense to get on the end of a long Paul Scholes pass and score into the corner.
Wayne Rooney, leading the attack against his former club because Ruud van Nistelrooy was suspended, had several chances throughout. Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright needed to stretch to keep out his header and the England striker also headed the ball over the bar in the first half.
Rooney also had one of the last chances of the match but his free kick was pushed away by Wright.
"We had four or five clear chances and their goalkeeper's had an excellent day," Ferguson said. "That sometimes happens when goalkeepers come here, they get inspired.''
Man-of-the-match Phil Neville made his first trip to Old Trafford since moving to Everton at the beginning of the season and played against his brother, Gary.
"We took the game to Manchester United, in the end we were counterattacking and with a bit more quality we could have nicked it," Phil Neville said. "I'm so glad we put in a performance -- sometimes teams get here and are fearful."
Everton moved up two places to 15th with the draw.
Manchester United was eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage for the first time in 10 years when it lost 2-1 at Benfica. Manchester United won the competition in 1999 and Ferguson said the team had to "grit our teeth and get on with it."
"Whilst we bitterly regret our defeat in Lisbon, there is no time for recrimination," Ferguson wrote in the game's program.
Ferguson said Sunday's draw had hurt the club's chances of winning the English title.
"When you draw points, it's never a help to you," he said. "You've got to have a consistency that goes right through the season. Today was no doubt a setback but December's an interesting month because we can win them all, no question about that."
Manchester United plays Wigan on Wednesday, and also faces Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham and Bolton this month.
Peter Lovenkrands scored a hat trick for Rangers in a 3-2 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday -- its first win in 11 matches.
Lovenkrands scored in the 16th, 42nd and 72nd minutes. Kilmarnock had goals from Gary McDonald in the 61st and Kris Boyd in the 82nd.
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