Manchester United vs Everton
Date: 28/10/2018
K/O: 16.00
Venue: Old Trafford
TV: Sky Sports Main Event
Referee: Jon Moss
Everton will be looking to extend their winning run to four games in a row when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United this Sunday.
United are beginning to show signs of life after an abysmal start to the season. A dramatic comeback against Newcastle United was recently followed up with an impressive performance against Chelsea which earned them a draw. Their narrow midweek loss to Juventus in the Champions League will do little to dampen United’s momentum in the Premier League as they look to build on recent performances and start getting points on the board.
United’s improving fortune is in no small part due to the freedom Mourinho has seemingly given to one of their most creative players, Anthony Martial.
Martial is enjoying a purple patch after months in the cold having scored three goals in the last two Premier League games. The French winger looks confident, slaloming his way past defenders and creating some much-needed excitement in the final third for United.
A win against Everton would see United take two wins from three in the league, and if Mourinho’s side are to turn this season around then they need be decisive victors in home matches such as these.
For their part, Everton have had some impressive results in recent weeks even if their performances have not been as convincing. Toffees fans have suffered a torrid time the last couple of seasons under Koeman and Allardyce but Marco Silva is finally giving the Goodison faithful something to cheer about with three wins in their last three matches.
Recent additions to the squad such as Lucas Digne and Kurt Zouma have adapted well to life on Merseyside, while Silva seems to be finally getting performances out of previous purchases such as Michael Keane and Cenk Tosun, who scored Everton’s second in their win over Crystal Palace last week.
Most Everton fans would be happy with a top eight finish this season, but if Silva can get the likes of Andre Gomes and Richarlison firing on all cylinders, there is no reason why they can’t force their way into the top six; a result away from home against a fragile United side would galvanise Everton’s aspirations for the season.
Team News
Jesse Lingard and Marcos Rojo remain the only two definite absences from the United squad this weekend. However, question marks remain over the fitness of Marouane Fellaini, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Dalot, Scott McTominay and Antonio Valencia who all continue to recover from minor injuries picked up over the international break.
Juan Mata has performed well in a deeper midfield role in the last two games and looks almost certain start alongside Paul Pogba in the middle of the park. With Nemanja Matic looking jaded in recent weeks, Mourinho could turn to Fred, Ander Herrera or Andreas Pereira if he decides to give his midfield general a rest. Periera would be the best option of the three as his composure and discipline on the ball would act as a good counterweight to Pogba’s more maverick style of play.
Both Marcus Rashford and Martial were poor against Juventus during the week but have impressed on the wings in the league and look certain to start again on Sunday. Goals remain Mourinho’s biggest headache with Romelu Lukaku failing to score in his last eight games. A returning Sanchez could lead the line and allow Mourinho to take Lukaku out of the firing line.
Beni Baningime and Phil Jagielka are the only doubts for Everton this weekend as Silva has a more or less complete squad to choose from. Everton’s dilemmas are of another kind as the Portuguese manager must try and find the right combination of attacking players to unlock United’s defence.
Richarlison is still failing to impress leading the line after his big money move from Watford and could be shifted out to the left. Theo Walcott has also gone off the boil in recent weeks which means Ademola Lookman could seize his opportunity and replace him on the other wing. That leaves the likes of Bernard, Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to battle it out for another starting spot in Everton attacking positions.
Midfield provides a similarly welcome problem for Silva. Loanee Gomes had an impressive debut last week but still looked a yard off the pace after a lengthy recovery from injury. A midfield three of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Gomes and Idrissa Gueye is an eye-watering prospect for Everton fans but it remains to be seen if Gomes is ready for successive starts. With Bernard capable of playing the no. 10 position, Sigurdsson could also drop a bit deeper to the no. 8 position to partner midfield mainstay Gueye if Gomes does not start.
Predicted Starting XI’s:
Manchester United: (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw; Matic, Pogba; Rashford, Mata, Martial; Lukaku.
Everton: (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Digne; Gueye, Gomes; Walcott, Sigurdsson, Bernard; Richarlison.
Score Prediction: Manchester United 2 Everton 1
United will be looking to continue their comeback this season and, if they show enough fight, will come out on top on Sunday. While Everton have been on a good run of form, their performances have been far from convincing and their forward line still needs time to click. United will look to start grinding out results now and a hard-fought, narrow victory seems on the cards this weekend.
