Jesse Lingard ended a stirring second-half comeback from Watford as Manchester United escaped from Vicarage Road with a tense 4-2 victory.
England international Lingard scored a tremendous solo goal in the 86th minute to sting the Hornets, who set up a tense finale by rallying from three goals behind with just 13 minutes remaining.
Ashley Young returned to haunt his former club and ended a 560-day wait for a United goal with a first-half double, while Anthony Martial took advantage of a more central role afforded by Jose Mourinho's switch to a three-man defence with his eighth strike in all competitions this season – matching his tally from last term.
Romelu Lukaku wasted a glorious chance to mark his 200th Premier League appearance with a goal as his struggles in the box continued, but Watford captain Troy Deeney made no mistake from the spot on his return from a three-match ban for violent conduct.
Abdoulaye Doucoure boosted what had seemed an unlikely comeback when he struck six minutes from time, but Lingard capped an impressive display in the number 10 role with a stunning effort moments later.
That secured United's first win in four Premier League away games closed the gap to leaders Manchester City, who face Southampton on Wednesday, to five points.
