Everton -v- Manchester United
Premier League
Goodison Park, Liverpool
Saturday 9 April 2022, KO 12:30 GMT
Referee: Jonathan Moss – Assistants: Marc Perry, Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: Martin Atkinson
VAR: Andy Madley – Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart
Manchester United will travel to face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon in the first kick off of the day. United seemed to put themselves into a difficult position after failing to beat Leicester City last weekend but Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace has left the door slightly open.
Ralf Rangnick’s side will need to get some good form going against Everton, who are themselves contending for a place in the bottom three of the Premier League table after their 3-2 defeat to Burnley, who are also relegation contenders this season.
At the time of writing, United sit in seventh place, level on points but behind on goal difference to West Ham United, who have played one match more than United thus far. Everton sit in 17th place in the league with 25 points, one more than Burnley – who have a better goal difference.
It is going to be a tough end to the season for United, who will want to achieve UEFA Champions League football next season but could also find themselves in the UEFA Europa League or even the UEFA Europa Conference League – it could be better to sit out of European competition altogether.
Manchester United – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: DLWLDD
Leicester City 1-1 D, Atletico Madrid 1-0 L, Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 W, Manchester City 4-1 L, Watford 0-0 D, Atletico Madrid 1-1 D
Goals: 18 – Cristiano Ronaldo, 9 – Bruno Fernandes, 6 – Mason Greenwood, 5 – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, 4 – Fred, 3 – Anthony Elanga, 2 – Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, 1 – Own Goal, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Alex Telles, Donny van de Beek
Assists: 14 – Bruno Fernandes, 9 – Paul Pogba, 5 – Fred, Luke Shaw, 3 – Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, 2 – Mason Greenwood, Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Marcus Rashford, Alex Telles, 1 – Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay, Raphael Varane
Everton – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: LLLWLL
Burnley 3-2 L, West Ham United 2-1 L, Crystal Palace 4-0 L, Newcastle United 1-0 W, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 L, Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 L
Goals: 7 – Richarlison, Andros Townsend, 6 – Demarai Gray, 3 – Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Iwobi, Salomón Rondón, 2 – Abdoulaye Doucouré, Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, 1 – Jarrad Branthwaite, Séamus Coleman, Tom Davies, Lucas Digne, André Gomes, Yerry Mina
Assists: 4 – Abdoulaye Doucouré, Richarlison, Andros Townsend, 3 – Allan, Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray, Jonjoe Kenny, 2 – André Gomes, Alexander Iwobi, Michael Keane, 1 – Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tom Davies, Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Previous meetings with Everton and their connections with United.
United and Everton have met 59 times in the Premier League. United have won 37 times, drawn 13 times with Everton winning nine times. United have scored 109 goals, winning five penalties and scoring four of them. Everton have scored 58 goals, winning four penalties and scoring three.
United have kept 24 clean sheets with Everton keeping nine. Discipline has been an issue with United players receiving 77 yellow cards and two red cards and Everton players being shown 109 yellow cards and three red cards. United need to be better in this match.
Mark Hughes, Andrei Kanchelskis, John O’Kane, Phil Neville, Jesper Blomqvist, Tim Howard, Louis Saha, Darron Gibson, Marouane Fellaini, Michael Keane, Tom Cleverley, Romelu Lukaku and Morgan Schneiderlin have all played for United and Everton and Donny van de Beek is on loan there now.
The most successful player to play for both United and Everton is Wayne Rooney, who was sold to United for £25 million in the summer of 2004. Before he rejoined Everton in 2017, he became United’s all time top scorer, scoring 253 goals for the club and 53 goals for England.
Team News: Cavani and Shaw likely to be out for United; Ronaldo and Lingard back? Townsend, Davies, Patterson and Van de Beek out for Everton – Allan and Keane to return?
Manchester United: Edinson Cavani (Calf) and Luke Shaw (Calf/Shin/Heel) are both likely to me missing this weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard were both ill last weekend, Lingard made the bench. Both could be back for the Everton clash.
Everton: Andros Townsend (Knee), Tom Davies (Thigh) and Nathan Patterson (Ankle) will be missing through injury. Donny van de Beek is injured but ineligible against United. Yerry Mina (Thigh) and Andre Gomes (Knock) are both doubts. Allan and Michael Keane could return from suspension.
Predicted Starting XI: Ronaldo back in the starting XI after recovering from illness? Sancho and Pogba to flank him? Fernandes, Fred and McTominay in the midfield?
Rangnick needs to find a way for United to get the better of Everton. Last week against Leicester, United were just not good enough to push for the victory. This is a major problem at the club this season – United are not good enough.
The writing is all over the wall for all of these players and their futures will be up in the air under the new manager who will arrive in the summer. These players need to realise that it is their futures that will be affected as United supporters will always be around the club, the players may not be.
David De Gea will keep his place in goal against Everton, who are in dreadful form this season. Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles will play in the fullback positions with Luke Shaw injured. Raphaël Varane and Harry Maguire will partner in the centre of the defence.
In the midfield, Scott McTominay, Fred and Bruno Fernandes will be effective in their roles, or at least should be with Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho flanking Cristiano Ronaldo, who should return from illness ahead of this match – he trained earlier in the week, so it should be good news.
Match Prediction: United need to beat Everton after 1-1 draw at Old Trafford earlier in the season. Getting some kind of form going before the end of the season is necessary.
Last season at Goodison Park, United beat Everton 3-1. Bernard opened the scoring for the home side in the 19th minute and Bruno Fernandes equalised six minutes later, completing his brace in the 32nd minute. Edinson Cavani completed United scoring five minutes into added time.
At Old Trafford last season, it was a different affair with the teams drawing 3-3. Cavani opened the scoring with Fernandes doubling the lead. Abdoulaye Doucouré got one backhand James Rodríguez equalised. Marcus Rashford put United ahead again before Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised again.
Earlier this season, the two teams faced off at Old Trafford. It was a 1-1 draw with Anthony Martial opening the scoring and Andros Townsend equalising. It was far from the 4-0 rout at Old Trafford during the pre-season campaign last summer.
If United are to move forward from their current slump in form, they will need to destroy Frank Lampard’s team, pushing them into the relegation zone – providing Burnley beat Norwich City, which could be likely. Lampard’s side would deserve to be relegated this season.
Everton 0-2 Manchester United
Written by John Walker
