?Manchester United's Javier Hernandez (left) scores past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard (right) during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester yesterday.

Livewire striker Javier Hernandez struck six minutes from time to send Manchester United nine points clear in the English Premier League with a 1-0 home win over Everton yesterday.

United, held 0-0 at Newcastle United in midweek, looked on course for another stalemate until the Mexican forward leaped high to head home an Antonio Valencia cross and edge his side closer to a record 19th championship title.

United, which visits Schalke 04 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal tomorrow, has 73 points with four games to play.

Chelsea, which was hosting West Ham United later yesterday, is second on 64, with Arsenal, away to Bolton Wanderers today, also on 64.

Manchester City, which was visiting Blackburn Rovers tomorrow, is fourth on 56 with fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on 54 ahead of its home game against West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

Seventh-placed Everton was unbeaten in seven league games but its record at Old Trafford is dire. Its last win there came in 1992 - when a 19-year-old Ryan Giggs was in the United side.

The Toffees did little to indicate they would end that drought yesterday but, well-organized and hard-working defensively, they kept United at arm's length for much of a sweltering afternoon.

Hernandez had a sharp shot beaten away by Tim Howard after half an hour and seven minutes later Valencia broke down the right and squared for Nani but the Portugal winger's goal-bound shot hit the prone Hernandez.

Howard did well to claw away a Hernandez header after 80 minutes but soon after he was caught flat-footed as the striker nicknamed Chicharito, or Little Pea, rose to power in his point-blank header.

United has won 16 and drawn one of its 17 home league games. Victories in its next two league matches would secure the title with two games to spare but they are unlikely to be easy - away to Arsenal and at home to Chelsea.

In Italy, Inter Milan overcame the sending off of goalkeeper Julio Cesar to beat Lazio 2-1 yesterday and move second in Serie A.

Cesar was sent off for bringing down Lazio striker Mauro Zarate, who opened the scoring with a penalty before Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto'o scored to give Inter the win.

Inter moves above Napoli, which lost 1-2 to Palermo. League leader AC Milan was playing Brescia later.

Edinson Cavani gave Napoli an early lead with a penalty, but Federico Balzaretti equalized for Palermo. Cesare Bovo then hit the winning penalty on the stroke of halftime.

Also yesterday, it was: Bari 0, Sampdoria 1; Bologna 0, Cesena 2; Cagliari 1, Fiorentina 2; Genoa 4, Lecce 2; and Udinese 0, Parma 2.