Paul Scholes' 100th Premier League goal was enough for Manchester United to leapfrog back to into top spot with a 1-0 win away at Wolverhampton.
Scholes settled a tense encounter with Wolves at Molineux 17 minutes from time, when he kept a cool head to beat Marcus Hahnemann after Jody Craddock's clearance had fallen nicely for the veteran midfielder.
Sir Alex Ferguson will hope the goal helps persuade Scholes to sign a one-year contract extension he is stalling over.
However, Ferguson will also be fretting on the fitness of Wayne Rooney after watching Sam Vokes waste a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage time.
Alan Shearer is the loudest voice to claim Rooney has been carrying United this season, but he certainly is not the only one to think that way.
This was a chance for his team-mates to prove otherwise, as Rooney did not even make the bench, his manager rating his talisman "a big doubt" to face AC Milan on Wednesday.
Instead, their efforts merely confirmed Shearer's view.
Isolated up front, Dimitar Berbatov failed to get involved as Rooney would have done. After a three-match ban, Nani appeared to have regressed to his maddening form of old and Antonio Valencia was little better on the other side.
Darron Gibson was the only United player to threaten the Wolves goal and the Irishman's efforts were more typical of a tourist at a seaside shooting gallery, peppering his shots everywhere without getting close to winning a prize.
Gibson's best effort was the shot he prodded wide after a poor Nani free-kick had bounced into his path off Berbatov.
It was Wolves, though, who carried the greater threat.
Having angered the Premier League with his team selection at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture last December, there was never a chance of Mick McCarthy leaving players out this time.
And why would he?
United might have been aiming for top spot but it has hardly been convincing this term and on its previous visits to newly-promoted clubs was beaten at Burnley and only drew at Birmingham.
Former Red Devil David Jones was set up by Matt Jarvis following a forceful run from the excellent Kevin Doyle and might have tested Edwin van der Sar had it not been for Michael Carrick's saving tackle.
Stephen Ward had the golden opportunity though.
Jarvis was again the provider, after darting down the right on the overlap. His deep cross found Ward completely unmarked and he only had to beat Van der Sar to score but he nodded tamely straight at the veteran Dutchman.
The introduction of Gary Neville at the break might not have been an obvious attacking move but the experienced full-back helped his side get a measure of control for the first time.
Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick both had chances and Jody Craddock also needed to act fast to rob Berbatov after Wolves had got their offside trap all wrong as they attempted to defend a Carrick cross.
Ferguson was then deeply unhappy at Nani being flattened by Jody Craddock as he raced forward trying to support Valencia, who had galloped down the wing.
It was not entirely a one-sided contest. Jarvis flashed a shot wide after cutting in from the left flank and Nemanja Vidic was booked for chopping down Karl Henry.
But United was the one on top, its efforts just emphasising the guile it was missing in Rooney.
In Scholes