KEY POINTS:
If Jose Mourinho really believes in conspiracy theories in English football, he could have a field day with this one.
Manchester United, 2-0 down, were thrown a lifeline by Everton's stand-in goalkeeper, then gifted three further goals, one of them knocked into his own net by the former
Man U hero Phil Neville.
Combined with Chelsea's second successive draw - 2-2 at home to Bolton - it all means that United, with their vastly superior goal difference, need only four more points - at most - to become champions, even if they should lose at Stamford Bridge on Thursday week.
The jubilant travelling fans risked tempting fate in the manner that their devil-may-care team do every week, when at the final whistle they let rip with: "Champions! Champions!"
Sir Alex Ferguson, having raced on to the pitch in celebration, did not seem inclined to disagree.
There is work to be done yet, but it would take defeat by Manchester City next Sunday to throw United off course now.
Everton appeared to be capable of doing that soon after halftime when Manuel Fernandes struck a second goal on the break to add to Alan Stubbs' early free-kick.
United simply threw more men forward, dominating the rest of the game and scoring four times in the final half-hour to add to an extraordinary 122 goals in all competitions this season.
The identity of three of the scorers was a surprise: John O'Shea offered hope with the first; the Neville own-goal equaliser; and little-used substitute Chris Eagles, in added time.
But the crucial goal had an inevitable feel about it, Wayne Rooney shrugging off the boos from those who once idolised him to record his 23rd goal of the season.
Everton will be paid an extra £500,000 ($1.3 million) if United win the title, as part of Rooney's transfer fee.
That will hardly compensate them for the misery of this defeat, which they will have regarded as self-inflicted, the first three goals all stemming from defensive errors.
Though United did the job at Everton, they were also helped by the draw earned in London by their northwest neighbours Bolton, managed by Ferguson's friend Sam Allardyce.
"I'll be giving him a hug and a kiss," Ferguson joked. "Maybe two kisses."
Down in the relegation battle, West Ham improved their chances of avoiding the drop with a 3-0 win at Wigan Athletic, while Sheffield United did the same with a 1-0 victory over relegated Watford.
Charlton Athletic are still in trouble after being trounced 4-1 at Blackburn Rovers.
A reshuffled Liverpool lost 1-2 at Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur won 3-2 at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa beat Manchester City 2-0 away.
City have now failed to score at home in seven successive league matches, setting a record for the longest home scoring drought in the English top flight.
Chelsea, who face United in the FA Cup final on May 19 at Wembley, will regret their missed chance in a rollercoaster game.
Slovakia defender Lubomir Michalik gave Bolton a surprise 19th minute lead on his full debut, only for Chelsea's Ivorian striker Salomon Kalou to level soon after with a header.
Kalou also created Chelsea's second, sending in a header that hit the crossbar and rebounded off keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 33rd minute.
But as Chelsea closed in for the kill, Bolton forward Kevin Davies exploited a defensive lapse to head an equaliser soon after the re-start.
REMAINING FIXTURES
Manchester United
* May 6: v Manchester City (a)
* May 10: v Chelsea (a)
* May 13: v West Ham (h)
Chelsea
* May 7: v Arsenal (a)
* May 10: v Manchester United (h)
* May 14: v Everton (h)
(all dates NZT)
Leading scorers
* 19: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
* 16: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
* 15: Benny McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers)
* 14: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)
* 12: Kevin Doyle (Reading)
* Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Middlesbrough)
* Darren Bent (Charlton Athletic)
* Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)
- INDEPENDENT, REUTERS
