Premier League: Everton 0 Manchester United 3
Everton burned with a sense of injustice over the record 10-point deduction in the Premier League that has revived relegation fears just when it seemed Sean Dyche’s side had left them behind. Manchester United performed with cool heads and cold intent instead, and savoured their biggest victory of the season as a result.
Erik ten Hag’s team’s previous seven league wins this season had been by a single-goal margin but here they ran out comfortable victors, eventually, over an Everton team reeling from the heaviest sporting sanction in Premier League history. A stupendous overhead kick from Alejandro Garnacho set United on their way to an impressive win, in which the 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo excelled on his full debut, before a second half penalty from Marcus Rashford took the contest away from the hosts. Anthony Martial added the gloss with his first goal of the season late on.
Dyche’s team created a host of good chances and performed well in the unique circumstances that have enveloped them, but again lacked the clinical touch that United showed in abundance.
Everton protests against the Premier League were well-funded, with more than £40,000 raised for the various banners and 38,000 red cards that filled Goodison Park, impressively coordinated and executed en masse. There was a wild atmosphere inside the old ground with boos starting as soon as two men stepped on to the pitch carrying Premier League signage before kick-off.
But what an angry crowd and a fired-up team could not legislate for was an early moment of sheer brilliance from Garnacho. His wondrous overhead kick drew the sting from Everton’s ire, temporarily at least, and provided an emphatic reminder of the individual talent at Ten Hag’s disposal. For all the angst and controversy that surrounds the two clubs, United and Everton came into the fixture as two of the division’s in-form teams on recent matches. The 19-year-old Garnacho appears to have little trouble with confidence whatever the situation, and showed it in abundance when volleying the visitors ahead after only 136 seconds.
Everton were exposed by a cross-field pass from Victor Lindelöf out to Marcus Rashford lurking on the right. It would not be the only occasion. Rashford released Diogo Dalot to the by-line and, though his deep cross was sailing away from the danger zone, Garnacho read its flight to perfection. Taking a step back, and turning away from goal, the teenager launched himself into the air to meet Dalot’s delivery with an unstoppable overhead kick that flew into the top corner of Jordan Pickford’s goal with the Everton goalkeeper well beaten. The goal of the season contender was reminiscent of Wayne Rooney’s spectacular winner for United against Manchester City in 2011. It was no surprise to hear United fans reprising their old Rooney chant moments later.
Garnacho’s goal left Everton stunned. Luke Shaw almost marked his return from injury in style when volleying a Bruno Fernandes corner just over from the edge of the penalty area. Too many aimless long balls from the hosts were easily devoured by Harry Maguire.
Gradually, however, Everton’s composure on the ball improved along with the movement around Dominic Calvert-Lewin and they dominated most of the first half. Dyche’s team created enough good chances to have led by the interval. Instead, and not for the first time at Goodison this season, they failed to take any.
Calvert-Lewin met James Garner’s corner with a towering header that he placed too close to the United goalkeeper André Onana. The Everton striker forced a better save from Onana with a first-time shot from a long ball out of defence. Dwight McNeil was close to converting the rebound but the power on his effort was reduced by a deflection off Maguire and Mainoo scooped clear off the line. The 18-year-old was hugely impressive on his first league start and demonstrated why Ten Hag had such high hopes for the central midfielder in pre-season before injury struck. He denied McNeil again with a fine block when the Everton winger found space to shoot inside the United area.
Abdoulaye Doucouré and Idrissa Gana Gueye, goalscorers in the win at Crystal Palace before the international break, were both guilty of glaring misses as Everton increased the pressure before half-time. Goodison’s anger turned towards the refere, John Brooks, due to a series of inconsistent decisions, including booking Doucouré for dissent when the midfielder asked why Scott McTominay had escaped a yellow card for two fouls in quick succession.
Everton’s sense of grievance deepened early in the second half when Brooks awarded United a penalty after a pitch-side review. The referee initially booked Martial for diving over Ashley Young’s outstretched right foot as he darted into the area. VAR advised Brooks to take a second look and he deemed Martial to have been tripped by the veteran defender. Marcus Rashford assumed penalty duties instead of the usual taker, the captain, Bruno Fernandes, and duly smashed only his second goal of the season into the top corner.
Martial wrapped up victory at the end of a flowing United move instigated by the substitute Facundo Pellistri. Fernandes dissected the home defence for the forward to lift a nonchalant finish over Pickford and claim his first United goal since May. - Guardian
