Man United ease to win over Everton
Manchester United 4 - 0 Everton
Ruben Amorim secured his first Premier League victory in style as Manchester United cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win over struggling Everton at Old Trafford.
After a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town in Amorim's league debut last weekend and a midweek Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt, the Portuguese boss saw his side find their feet on Sunday. Despite a shaky start, they ultimately delivered a clinical performance, with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee both bagging two goals apiece.
It was a match to forget for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who had been a summer transfer target for United. His misfortune played a key role in the home side’s opening goals. Rashford’s low strike took a deflection off Branthwaite's boot to give United the lead, and moments later, the centre-back was caught dithering on the ball. This allowed Amad Diallo to steal possession and set up Bruno Fernandes, who teed up Zirkzee for a composed finish.
United killed off the game just 29 seconds into the second half. Diallo, who was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, slid a perfectly timed pass to Rashford for his second. Zirkzee rounded off the scoring in the 64th minute with a calm finish, sealing an emphatic win for the hosts.
Amorim will take plenty of positives from this performance as he continues to shape his team, while United’s fans will be hoping it’s a sign of more good times to come under their new manager.
United were a joy to watch at times
Manchester United fans have been desperate for a return to glory since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 – and they may have found a new hero to lead the charge.
As Ruben Amorim walked off the Old Trafford pitch, he was greeted by chants of "Amorim's red army" from the Stretford End, a clear sign of early support for the new boss. His unbeaten start, capped by this emphatic win, offers a glimpse of what could be a promising future under his leadership.
Amorim arrived with an impressive record, having guided Sporting to victory in all 22 of their home games since the start of last season. He’s now started his Premier League journey at the Theatre of Dreams in a similarly commanding fashion, setting the tone for what United fans hope will be a new era of success.
Liam C added: "We were a joy to watch in that second half and it was easy for them. There were two or three fabulous performances. We are seeing an improvement from every single player. The performances are getting better and the belief is rising that this could be a fantastic season. I'm almost excited about seeing us face off against Arsenal in midweek. Anything could happen."
Everton problems continue
Everton's grim run of fixtures in December began horrendously courtesy of this battering at Old Trafford and it does not get any easier. There's fixtures against Merseyside rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all coming up this month.
This miserable performance will pile the pressure on beleaguered boss Sean Dyche as his side have won twice in the top flight all season, scored only 10 goals and failed to find the net in their last four games.
