Premier League: Everton pay the penalty

-

Manchester United 2 - 0 Everton

Manchester United halted their two-game losing streak by securing victory over Everton at Old Trafford through first-half penalties converted by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.

In a peculiar match, Everton became the fifth team in six Premier League games to muster at least 20 shots against Erik ten Hag's side, yet their wastefulness and defensive lapses cost them dearly.

Both James Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey received yellow cards for reckless challenges on Alejandro Garnacho.

Fernandes calmly dispatched the first penalty, directing a precise low shot to Jordan Pickford's left corner. Despite the skipper passing on the second penalty to Rashford, the latter confidently sent Pickford the wrong way for his seventh goal of the season.

Following defeats against Fulham and Manchester City, the win brought United within three points of fifth-placed Tottenham, although Ange Postecoglou's team has two games in hand.

With the midweek European results in mind, securing a fifth place for Champions League qualification appears less certain than before. After the weekend's results, United are now 8 points behind Aston Villa. 

Everton's woes continued as they managed only five points from 11 games. With the upcoming Merseyside derby postponed due to Liverpool's FA Cup commitments, Sean Dyche's side faces the possibility of slipping into the relegation zone during the international break.

Regardless of Manchester United's overall performance this season, it's noteworthy for the emergence of Garnacho, who, at just 19, is becoming United's most threatening offensive player.

While he occasionally falters in decision-making, Garnacho's speed and skill trouble defenders, as evidenced by drawing rash challenges from Tarkowski and Godfrey in the first half.

United squandered further opportunities in the second half, with Garnacho among the offenders, failing to convert after breaking clear into the penalty area.

Everton's troubles extend beyond the pitch, with looming consequences for financial breaches and a deteriorating on-field performance that casts doubt on their ability to avoid relegation.

Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024

Despite having better chances in the first half, Everton's lack of composure in front of goal, exemplified by missed opportunities from McNeil, Harrison, and Onana, contributed to their downfall.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin's missed header summed up Everton's frustrating day, highlighting their dire situation both on and off the field.

Man United 2 - 0 Everton

The best reaction

Liam, a Manchester United Season Ticket Holder, told us: "If I were to talk about the quality in the match, it would be more in favour of Everton. They dominated much of the game, particularly in the first half. United's performance was consistently subpar. In the midst of the penalty kicks Bruno managed to force a good save from Pickford. The second half just dragged on until the referee ended the game. It was a victory, but once again, watching Ten Hag's Man Utd was rather dull and uninspiring."

Josh, another United fan, added: "I thought Rashford was superb. He was a threat against The Toffees and scored a great penalty from the spot. Ganrnacho was also incredible and he is starting to look like a top-class attacking player."

Sarah, an Everton fan, is starting to get concerned about her side's chances of staying up. She told us: "We made a lively start, aiming to pressure their hosts into an early mistake and possibly score an early goal. Everton effectively disrupted United's defensive line, forcing several errors, but they couldn't capitalise on them. The closest they came to creating a chance was when Amadou Onana attempted to control Dwight McNeil's cross in front of the goal but couldn't quite manage it. I am now really concerned about our fight to stay in the Premier League. We badly need to start picking up some points."

Location: Manchester, UK

Popular posts from this blog

Sliding Doors Moments: What if Scholes wasn’t offside?

-
Image
It's time to for another sliding doors moment in football  We travel back to 2004. Manchester United face Porto in the last-16 of the Champions League.  Author - Liam C What actually happened? A ontroversial offside call against Paul Scholes became a pivotal moment in European football history. The disallowed goal cost United a place in the quarter-finals, while Porto, managed by the up and coming manager José Mourinho, went on to win the competition and launch Mourinho into the managerial elite. But what if Scholes hadn’t been ruled offside? How might this alternative scenario have changed the landscape of world and European football? Scholes wasn’t offside: United progress Had the linesman not flagged Scholes for offside, Manchester United would have progressed to the next round of the Champions League. Scholes' goal was legitimate, and had it stood, United would have won the tie on aggregate, knocking out Porto and ending their European dreams. With the Red Devils moving
Read more

PL News: Ten Hag sacked by Man United

-
Image
There has been a managerial change at Old Trafford. Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag due to the club's disappointing start to the season. Author - Olivia T Ten Hag's last match ended in a 2-1 defeat against West Ham , leaving the club in 14th place in the Premier League with only three wins from their first nine matches. The Red Devils are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League league stage, having drawn their three opening matches. Club sources from the club have reportedly suggested that this was a difficult decision but a unanimous one among all the key decision makers.  The club exercised a one-year extension in Ten Hag's contract after their FA Cup final win against Manchester City in May . However, just over three months later, he has been dismissed. United currently sit on 11 points after nine games, marking their second-lowest tally in the Premier League at this stage (only slightly better than the 10 points they had in the 2019-20 season)
Read more

Scotland: Kilmarnock stun Rangers with late winner

-
Image
Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Rangers Rangers remain six points behind the Premiership leaders after suffering a late defeat against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Author - Mark Lee In a lacklustre match, Rangers wasted several opportunities to secure three points. A combination of poor finishing and solid defending from Kilmarnock made it another frustrating afternoon for the Belgian manager. As the game was heading for a draw, David Watson's lob found Marley Watkins, who beat the offside trap and bundled the ball past Jack Butland. The Gers need to regroup quickly ahead of their Europa League match against FCSB on Thursday. Meanwhile, Derek McInnes' team has now moved to seventh place and are just outside the top six on goal difference. A closer look at how Kilmarnock stunned this Rangers side Home form has traditionally been a strength for Kilmarnock , but they had recorded five draws and one defeat in all competitions on their own pitch leading up to this game. ⚽️ Goal of the day: Mar
Read more