Manchester United beat Everton 4-0 in the final pre-season match of the summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ran riot at Old Trafford with three goals in the opening 30 minutes of the match. Mason Greenwood opened the scoring, pouncing on a defensive error in the eighth minute of the match. Harry Maguire headed United into a 2-0 lead in the 15th minute after a Luke Shaw corner. It was Bruno Fernandes that stole the headlines though wit a stunning free-kick from 25-yards which beat Jordan Pickford. Diogo Dalot also scored a header in added time after Fred played the ball into the box. It was a positive match for United and will have helped them get ready for the Premier League season starting next week.
United started well against Everton in their final pre-season match of the summer, the second to be played at the Theatre of Dreams. Within eight minutes, Mason Greenwood had capitalised on a defensive error to score his first pre-season goal, which was great to see. United continued to press this Everton side, who looked dejected and out of sorts. The negative fans could well be hiding later today. United doubled their lead from a set-piece with Luke Shaw taking the corner and Harry Maguire heading into the back of the net. And by the half hour mark of the match, Bruno Fernandes took a free-kick, hitting the back of the net from distance to send a message that United were ready to take on their rivals ahead of the new Premier League season.
United continued to play impressively for the remainder of the first half, having a few more chances on goal. At the start of the second hale, Solskjaer made a triple substitution with Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Fred replacing Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek and Nemanja Matic. United were still playing a good attacking game against the Premier League side, who themselves had a chance to get a goal back, hitting the crossbar through Andros Townsend. Solskjaer then made another four substitutions in the 60th and 61st minutes with Diogo Dalot, Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams and Andreas Pereira replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes. United possibly should have scored their fourth goal of the game soo after.
With Solskjaer seeking to give players minutes on the pitch, he made another two changes in the 68th and 69th minutes of the match with Scott McTominay and James Garner replacing Daniel James and Harry Maguire. The match seemed to be dead and buried for Everton though, who made many changes of their own but still looked dejected and out of sorts. It was a good game for Solskjaer’s side ahead of their Premier League opener against Leeds United in a week’s time. United were still creating the chances, despite the number of changes made which will give Solskjaer the vision to see which players will make his side against Leeds at Old Trafford next week. Everton will have a lot of work to do ahead of their season starting.
As the game was coming to a close, United were pushing Everton back into their own half once more, which must have been terrible for the as nothing much had changed since the start of the match. United seemed to be seeking a fourth goal, which had eluded them since Fernandes scored the third of the match. In added time, Diogo Dalot headed from range past Asmir Begovic from a Fred assist, which sealed a 4-0 victory for United. What a result in the final pre-season match where the majority of the first team players were back in action. Perhaps now the moaning contingent of negative United supporters will be happy, but you just know that they all be finding minuscule things to turn into massive problems, because they are never happy and live sad lives.
United will now have a week’s training ahead of the first Premier League match of the season against Leeds United at the Theatre of Dreams. United will need to do a lot better than they did last season, when they were defeated by Crystal Palace then stuttered in the league before they started to find some form. This pre-season has not been the best with the Preston North End match being cancelled last weekend and with United losing 4-2 to Queens Park Rangers, drawing 2-2 with Brentford but Beating Derby County 2-1 in the opening match f the pre-season campaign. Solskjaer will be pleased with his squad, which was toughly for the first three matches. We are still to see Jadon Sancho and Rafael Varane play for the club yet, which will be worth the wait.
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Goals: Mason Greenwood 8’, Harry Maguire 15’, Bruno Fernandes 29′, Diogo Dalot 90+2′
Assists: Luke Shaw 15’, Fred 90+2′
Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (Dalot 61′), Lindelof (Tuanzebe 60′), Maguire (Garner 69′), Shaw (Williams 60′); Matic (Fred 46′), Van de Beek (Pogba 46′); Greenwood, Fernandes (Pereira 60′), James (McTominay 68′); Martial (Mata 46′)
Substitutes Not Used: Grant, Heaton
Bookings: Seamus Coleman 49′
Written by John Walker
