Manchester United get ready to host Everton in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday. The Red Devils are aiming to get back into the top-3 and keep the pressure piled on Newcastle United for that coveted Champions League spot.
Erik ten Hag’s side faces a struggling, but dangerous Everton side desperate for any point they can get. The Toffees are in the middle of a heated relegation battle and most of the players play every game as if their lives depend on it.
With that being said, the Red Devils have turned Old Trafford into an impenetrable fortress this season. The only time they lost a league game at home this season was the first one under Ten Hag in August.
Everton, on the other hand, have a really poor away record and have only won one of their fifteen visits to the league. With both teams having varying prized agendas on their mind right now, this one should be a feisty Premier League clash.
Last 5 games
The Red Devils might’ve won more games than Everton in their respective last five league games, but there’s an interesting twist. The Toffees are unbeaten in their previous four league games, something that United can’t really boast about. So it could be fair to say both sides go into this game in a weirdly similar form.
Manchester United: 4th
Win: 1-0 vs Brentford
Loss: 2-0 vs Newcastle United
Draw: 0-0 vs Southampton
Loss: 7-0 vs Liverpool
Win: 3-0 vs Leicester City
Everton: 16th
Draw: 1-1 vs Tottenham Hotspur
Draw: 2-2 vs Everton
Win: 1-0 vs Brentford
Draw: 2-2 vs Nottingham Forest
Win: 4-0 vs Arsenal
Predicted Starting Lineups
United have a little bit of a problem when it comes to their midfield, with their most influential midfielder Casemiro still serving out his ban. Christian Eriksen is back in full team training, but a lack of proper match fitness could see him miss another key game.
Alejandro Garnacho is unlikely to return this month after sustaining an injury against Southampton in March. Donny van de Beek is also injured until the end of the season, while Luke Shaw suffered a hamstring injury against Brentford that could keep him out too.
Everton are all set to miss midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after he was suspended for lashing out at Harry Kane in the draw against Spurs in mid-week. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also on the sidelines with a thigh injury as he continues struggling for goals.
Andros Townsend is likely to be out for another month or so with a knee injury, but left-back Ruben Vinagre could be in contention to return soon.
Manchester United: De Gea, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Malacia, McTominay, Bruno, Fred, Antony, Rashford, Weghorst
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana, Davies, Iwobi, McNeil, Gray
Head-to-Head
The two historic English sides have faced each other on 210 occasions in their history, in which United have the advantage. The Red Devils have won 92 of those games, with Everton winning on 71 occasions.
The last time when United face Everton in the Premier League this season was in October. The Red Devils picked up a gritty 2-1 win over Frank Lampard’s side, enacting revenge for their loss at Goodison Park last season.
Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal in that game for the Red Devils, marking his final league goal for United before leaving in November.
Where the game will be decided
It should be a classic case of ‘attack vs defense’ at Old Trafford – with the confident United side piling pressure on Sean Dyche’s rugged Everton side. Dyche knows all too well how tough a battle this will be and is expected to stack his backline to be deep, and rigid and harass the Red Devils with their physical challenges.
If Erik Ten Hag’s side wants to pick up a big win, their forward players have to be on song. Marcus Rashford is undoubtedly the man to watch, having scored 28 goals this season. His movement and newly found ruthlessness in front of the goal mean Everton will pile many bodies to keep him quiet.
Antony is getting more creative with his work in the final third and needs to be as accurate as he was at Goodison Park to torment Everton again. Wout Weghorst might struggle for goals but can use his physicality to get rid of his harrowing form in this fixture.
Everton, on the other hand, will have to defend like their lives depended on it at Old Trafford. But if they want to get away with a result, the Toffees must be clinical with their counter-attack and expose United’s problems against pacy attacks.
Prediction
We back United to keep their good form at Old Trafford intact with a compelling win over Everton. It won’t be easy, but the Red Devils have enough momentum and energetic support at home to get the better of the inconsistent Toffees.
Expect the likes of Rashford and Bruno Fernandes to play a big part in their attacking moves. Everton might’ve slightly picked up form in recent weeks, but they’re still not strong enough to destabilize a United side that last lost at Old Trafford in the league in August.
Prediction: Man United 2-0 Everton
Odds*
United to win: 13/25
Draw: 18/5
Everton: 13/2
United being 13/25 means that if one was to bet $10 on them to be victorious, they’d receive a $5.20 profit if this outcome comes true. The implied win probability, in this case, is 65.79%.
The 13/2 odds for Everton indicate that for every $2 that is a bet on Everton to win, a $13 return can be achieved if that result is the outcome.
*By Betfair At the time of writing
Kick-off Time
The match gets underway at Old Trafford at 12:30 PM GMT and the referee will be Michael Oliver.