Dimitar Berbatov’s second-half goal gave Manchester United its seventh straight home win in the Premier League and cut the deficit between the defending champion and table-topping Liverpool to seven points.

Berbatov’s 69th-minute volley, the Bulgarian’s first league goal in more than six weeks, was enough to beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at Old Trafford last night.

Liverpool tops the standings with 45 points, Chelsea is on 42, with United on 38 points. United, which can match Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles with a third straight championship, has played two fewer matches and hosts Chelsea on Jan. 11.

“We’re in a good position now,” United manager Alex Ferguson told Setanta Sports. “It’s going to be a great run-in, really exciting.”

Middlesbrough remains in 17th spot on 20 points, sandwiched between Tottenham and Stoke on goal difference. Stoke, Blackburn and West Bromwich Albion are in the relegation positions.

United has now recorded four 1-0 wins and two 0-0 draws in its past six league games.

“We had to work hard for it but we missed a lot of chances and this is a big concern,” Ferguson said. “If we don’t start taking these chances we’ll suffer.”

European champion United, which nine days ago won the FIFA Club World Cup, was denied a first-half penalty when Cristiano Ronaldo fell to the ground after being grabbed around the neck by Emanuel Pogatetz at a corner.

The dispute flared again as the teams left the field at halftime, when Ronaldo confronted the Austrian player. Within three minutes of the restart, Pogatetz fell to the ground to earn a free kick after what appeared to be minimal contact from Ronaldo.

Boro, seeking its first win over United since a 4-1 league victory in October 2005, came closest to taking the lead after 58 minutes when Tuncay Sanli met a low cross from the right wing by Matthew Bates with a diving header that flew just wide of Edwin van der Sar’s left-hand post.

Eight minutes later, Park Ji-Sung forced Boro goalkeeper Ross Turnbull to turn his low drive around the post for a corner, while Ronaldo shot wide a minute later.

United took the lead on its next attack. Michael Carrick found himself in space on the left side of Boro’s defense after a back-heel pass from Park. The midfielder’s second attempt at a cross struck defender David Wheater, whose failure to control the ball with his chest allowed Berbatov to strike a right-foot volley past Turnbull from near the penalty spot.

“Sometimes 1-0 is enough, and the three points are the most important thing,” Berbatov told MUTV. “It was a very important win. We are right there.”

Park came close to doubling the advantage in the 75th minute. Fed by Carrick at the left edge of the penalty area, he cut inside and curled a right-foot shot narrowly past the top corner.

Park missed another chance with six minutes remaining. Wayne Rooney flicked the ball to him and his shot from the right edge of the penalty box went past Turnbull’s left post.

Boro, pressing for the tying score, won a corner in the last minute of added time. From a cross after United cleared the ball, Tuncay struck a post with an overhead kick before being ruled offside.

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