DAVIE Moyes today admitted Manchester United face "a big catch-up" if they are to retain their Barclays Premier League title.

Moyes made the declaration after watching his team crash 1-0 at home to former club Everton thanks to a late goal from Bryan Oviedo.

But the Old Trafford boss stressed his belief his side can still be contenders for this season's crown after this latest blow.

United, down to ninth, are now 12 points behind table-toppers Arsenal with both teams having played 14 league fixtures.

When asked about that gap, Moyes, who was jeered by the visiting fans, said: "We have got a long way to go.

We will need to play some great football and win an awful lot of games in the run-in if we going to be in there and around it come the end of the season.

"We needed a bit of good fortune and we didn't get it. Everton kept at it and showed us what a good team they are.

"We didn't defend the goal well enough so it was our own doing.

"We had some chances as well as did Everton. They have been playing well and that's why they are up near the top of the league. It's a big catch-up for us now."

Asked if he thought his team was capable of doing that, he said: "Yeah, I've got nothing to suggest anything else."

In his 11 years as Everton manager prior to his defection to United over the summer, Moyes had never overseen a win at Old Trafford.

And after witnessing his successor Roberto Martinez pull off the feat, with the Toffees sealing their first away victory over the Red Devils since 1992 courtesy of full-back Oviedo's 85th-minute strike, Moyes said: "I'm disappointed to lose but that is the way the game goes sometimes."

In contrast to the testing time Moyes - whose team have now suffered four top-flight defeats in 2013-14 - is enduring, it seems things could hardly be going better for Martinez in his new job.

Everton have been beaten only once in the league this season and currently lie fifth in the table, three points off second place.

And on the Toffees ending their Old Trafford hoodoo, Martinez said: "Today was more than a football game for us - it was about trying to get over the mental block that we have had for many, many years.

"Someone told me was 20-odd years since we won at Old Trafford.

"It was about being ourselves throughout the game. I couldn't be prouder.

"The performance is not by any means our best of the season, but we had a real mentality in the first half when we had to dig in, when Manchester United created a few chances as you would expect.

"We never felt inferior. I have always felt this squad is capable of going anywhere in this league and playing teams eye-to-eye. We need to carry on improving, carry on getting better."