Preview: Martial to start as United plot another clean sheet and three points against Everton
Saturday’s Premier League action gets underway at Old Trafford as top-four hopefuls Manchester United meet relegation-threatened Everton in a lopsided contest.
Erik ten Hag’s men avenged a lacklustre 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United with a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph over Brentford on Wednesday as Marcus Rashford struck again to get United back to winning ways.
Rashfrod’s first-half winner saw him become the first Man Utd player since Wayne Rooney in 2011/12 to net 19+ competitive goals at Old Trafford in a single season.
The 25-year-old will be under the spotlight again as he could go one better and smash a 20-goal milestone on Saturday, a feat last achieved by non-other than Rooney in 2009/10.
Everton’s visit to the Theatre of Dreams will put the Red Devils’ fitness levels to the test, as it will be their third Premier League contest in six days, suggesting fatigue could be catching up with Ten Hag’s side.
Sean Dyche’s team did Man Utd a favour last Monday by holding their direct top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur to a dramatic 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
That result should serve as a warning to the three-time European champions to avoid taking the Toffees lightly despite their season-long struggle in the lower reaches.
Match Preview
Man United’s midweek success against Brentford did not just help them curtail an underwhelming three-match winless run in the Premier League (D1, L2) but avoid setting an unwanted club record.
Before Rashford’s strike, the Red Devils had gone three straight league games without scoring and could’ve become the first United team to register four consecutive scoring blanks in the Premier League era.
Although the sought-after forward made sure to help ten Hag’s men dodge the bullet, United’s performance against Brentford lacked conviction, which has rarely been the case at Old Trafford in 2023.
United have gone from strength to strength at the Theatre of Dreams this calendar year, racking up a jaw-dropping win ratio of 87.5% across 16 competitive home games (W12, D2).
They’ll be massive pre-match favourites to add another one to the tally, especially after beating Everton twice in all competitions this season, including a comprehensive 3-1 FA Cup victory in January.
In the Premier League alone, the Red Devils have only lost one of their last 29 home meetings with the Merseyside outfit (W20, D8), so it’s no wonder the expectations are high in ten Hag’s corner.
It’s been a while since Everton last went four consecutive Premier League games without losing, but Dyche’s tactical masterstroke has got the out-of-sorts Toffees back on track (W1, D3).
However, they’re not out of the woods yet, as they commence this round level on points with 18th-placed Bournemouth, partly due to their well-documented travel sickness.
Not even a pair of goal-glutted draws at Chelsea and Nottingham Forest on their last two Premier League travels have repaired Everton’s tainted image, leaving them to hang onto a single top-flight win on the road this term.
Since claiming a 2-1 win at basement boys Southampton in October, the Toffees have gone winless in their last ten away league outings (D4, L6), managing just one clean sheet in that stretch.
Bringing the 2021/22 campaign into the equation, they’ve pulled off only two victories in their last 31 Premier League fixtures on hostile turf (D9, L20), a run featuring just two shutouts.
Despite all the ominous signs, Dyche could make history on Sunday and become the first English manager to beat United at Old Trafford with two different clubs after guiding Burnley to a 2-0 win in January 2020.
Player to Watch: Anthony Martial
Rashford would be an educated guess, but Anthony Martial has been particularly prolific against Everton, tallying seven goals and four assists in 15 outings against the Toffees in all competitions.
The Frenchman returned from a long-term injury against Newcastle last weekend and showed glimpses of his talent during a cameo appearance against Brentford on Wednesday.
Player to Watch: Alex Iwobi
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin experiencing a woeful season, Alex Iwobi has soaked up the limelight as Everton’s main man, creating a club-high 47 chances for his teammates this term.
His tremendous effort in the reverse fixture served to open the scoring before Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo turned the game on its head by the end of the first half.
Team News
In addition to Martial, Ten Hag has welcomed Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Christian Eriksen back in full training, with the Dane staking his claim for a first competitive start since January.
Only a day after putting pen to paper on a new deal, Luke Shaw sustained an unknown injury against Brentford that forced him to leave the field in the first half.
United still cannot call upon Argentine teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho due to a nasty foot injury from before the international break, while Donny van de Beek’s recovery from a knee fracture is taking more time than expected.
After Sunday’s game, the Red Devils will have Casemiro back from suspension, but they’ll have to make it out without the Brazilian talisman this weekend.
As for Everton, Calvert-Lewin is still in the treatment room with a thigh injury, leaving Dyche with Demarai Gray as the likeliest choice to lead the line at Old Trafford.
In addition to the English striker, the Toffees will be without long-term absentee Andros Townsend and suspended Abdoulaye Doucoure, who picked up a red card against Tottenham last time out.
Manchester United potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia; Scott McTominay, Marcel Sabitzer; Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Antony; Anthony Martial.
Everton potential starting line-up:
(5-4-1): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Vitali Mykolenko; Idrissa Gueye, Dwight McNeil, Amadou Onana, Alex Iwobi; Demarai Gray.
We Say: Manchester United 2-0 Everton
Except for a sub-par showing at St James’ Park, Man Utd seem to have found their defensive balance, as witnessed by a decent return of three clean sheets from the last five matches.
There’s no doubt Dyche will send his troops to frustrate the Red Devils by ‘parking the bus’ in front of Jordan Pickford’s goal, but we expect Ten Hag’s side to come out on top.
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