This time last year I was heading home to England to see Everton play Manchester United, Wolves and Liverpool. The match at Old Trafford was an awful 4-0 loss in which I had my innocence ripped to shreds.
Today, Everton returned to the scene of that crime with a very different team, with a very different owner and a very different outlook.
However, it must be said, Old Trafford is a desolate market that Everton teams have come and left empty handed. In fact, Everton had won just one of their last 32 against them at Old Trafford (D8 L23) That was a 1-0 in December 2013, thirteen years ago!
Team News
Veteran Everton skipper Seamus Coleman returned to David Moyes’ side in the only change to the side that beat Fulham 2-0 before the international break. Tim Iroegbunam dropped to the bench. Thierno Barry started for the third game in a row.
Joshua Zirkzee started for the first time this season as Matheus Cunha misses out after suffering a blow to the head in training. Benjamin Sesko was also out with a knee injury, so 18-year-old forward Shea Lacey was named on the bench for the first time. At the back, Leny Yoro replaced Harry Maguire while Lisandro Martinez returned to Amorim’s squad for the first time since February after knee surgery.
Match Report
Everton were in their all blue strip as Tony Harrington blew his whistle to get things underway. Some good early pressure from Barry caused early panic in the United back line as Everton started the match on the front foot. In fact, it took United nearly five minutes to get the ball into the Everton half. A nice ball from Ndiaye was flicked on by Yoro which prevented Barry from getting the final touch.
The match was delayed as Zirkzee and Tarkowski got the handbags out after Zirkzee fell to the ground like he had been poleaxed. At the same time, Coleman waved to the bench and his race was run after ten minutes. His Irish compatriot, Jake O’Brien stripped off and took his place.
It was all happening and when Mbuemo got the ball forward and Bruno Fernandes shot the ball narrowly wide. Keane and Gueye were arguing with each other and for some reason they were pushing each other and for some reason, the referee walked over and gave Gueye a red card. VAR confirmed that Gueye had made contact with Keane’s face. Pickford and Ndiaye were needed to get the incredibly upset Gueye off the pitch and down the tunnel. Wow!
The game was disjointed as everyone tried to make sense of the situation. However, a good response from Everton saw Ndiaye break out and it took a good interception from Yoro to stop Barry from being put into the clear. The travelling Evertonians in the corner were in full voice as they tried to spur on their team.
Grealish was getting more on the ball and when he got the ball inside to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a shimmy and a drop of the shoulder got him a yard and his shot curled into the far post and buried into the back of the old onion bag! What a goal and what a response to going a man down.
United had been completely out of the match and the goal seemed to wake them up with both Zirkzee and Dorgu getting shots with one being handled easily by Pickford and a wild one over the bar. A nice defensive play by Keane took away a good chance for Mbuemo and the fall injured his shoulder but he was able to continue.
United were growing into the game and it took a flying save from Pickford to deny Fernandes as four minutes of additional time was announced. A good counter attack from Everton saw Mbuemo given a yellow card for pulling back Garner. Everton remained resilient and the Evertonians ended the half with a hearty rendition of “Everton We Love You”
The second half started with Mason Mount coming on for Mazraoui. Ruben Amorin must have thrown a boot or two at half time because United were clearly fired up at the start. Casemiro was given the next yellow card for taking down Grealish. The Amorin ‘chat’ may have made them frantic because their play was disjointed and rushed.
The United fans were getting antsy and Amorin had seen enough from Casemiro and Dorgu as he got his next changes ready. When Michael Keane made a lunging tackle on Mbuemo, it was clear, even from VAR, that Mbuemo had kicked Keane. The VAR break allowed Mainoo and Dalot to replace Amorin’s latest villains.
United were starting to turn the screws but Everton were threatening on the counter attack. Pickford made a great save from an Mbuemo shot before Mount curled his shot well wide of the post. Everton were defending very deeply and when Grealish is making a last ditch tackle in the box you know that is true!
Unfortunately, Grealish then decided to try a flick back to Mykolenko which wasn’t expected and led to a shot from Mbuemo but it went wide. Everton got back on the ball and Grealish and Ndiaye both did their best to slow down the game although they should have been more proactive by searching for the second.
A great ball from De Ligt to Mount split the Everton defense but his pass back to Fernandes went begging. Jack Grealish was struggling and holding his abdominal area although he was good to have a natter with the referee about a missed call or two! He was getting under the skin of several of the men in red which was good for us! Evertonians were jubilant.
The biggest chance of the game for United fell to Zirkzee who headed in a cross from Shaw but Jordan Pickford made a glorious save. The resulting corner fell to Fernandes but his shot was just wide of the post.
Tim Iroegbunam and Beto were brought on by Everton for Barry and Ndiaye with 9 minutes to go. United continued to try to unlock the Everton back line. A quick ball into the box was met by Zirkzee but his header was well wide. Moyes made his final changes and took off Grealish and KDH for Alcaraz and McNeil. I have to say that my heart was in my mouth hoping that Moyes had not shuffled his pack incorrectly.
It was Pickford again when he denied a Zirkzee header and tipped the ball over the bar. Beto then forced a throw in when four minutes was shown on the fourth officials board. United drove forward but Mykolenko cleared the ball away. Seconds later, De Ligt was all alone on the edge of the box but he could not score.
United could not do anything more as Everton kept the ball and when Pickford cleared the ball back down the pitch the whistle was blown and David Moyes had his first win at Old Trafford for the first time in his career! “We Love You Everton” rang down from the corner of the pitch where the Everton supporters were singing their hearts out.
Everton’s Man of the Match
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: It would be easy to give this accolade to Pickford but on the whole the work of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and his match winning strike has to be seen as the most significant contribution in the match. He had 6 of 9 duels won, 5 recoveries and 6 clearances. He was pushing the team forward at the start and this continued even after Gueye’s dismissal. To get the goal which was one of quality gave the team the impetus to go forward.
Instant Reaction
After the dismissal of Gueye, the chances of getting something was very slim. The goal from Dewsbury-Hall galvanized the team and their work over the next 70 plus minutes was incredible. It has to be said that Everton had one man less but they had as many good chances as United. A team performance that builds on the solid win over Fulham. The win brings Everton level with United and Liverpool on points and ahead of Liverpool on goal difference…….a very good week. In the big picture we are looking up and only three points off a Champions League position!
The main talking point in the match was the red card for Gueye. It was only his second red card in his professional career. He plays hard and he plays fairly. He also has very high standards for which he wants his teammates to strive. That is admirable and it is why he is a leader by example. Today, the red mist descended and he lost it. Gueye took the ball off Keane’s foot and made a good defensive play but the layoff to Keane was poor. It was a pushing match and the slap to the face was ridiculous. Gueye is a quiet leader. Today was his worst day in an Everton shirt and we will now miss him for three matches. It was good to hear that he apologized to the team after the match.
Seeing Seamus Coleman in the lineup was so great to see after his struggles to get fit. With some serious minutes for Ireland over the international break, it looked like he was get back to fitness. That positive outlook was dashed when he was withdrawn after only ten minutes. The time away with Ireland looked like it had given the captain something to build on. Sadly, we now have to wait for an assessment to see when our inspirational leader will return.
This was Thierno Barry’s third start and his hold up play alone is continuing to improve and you can see that his confidence is growing. He had 13 aerial duels won out of 13 which is the most in the Premier League this season. The other improved area of his play was the interplay he had with his teammates. Some nice flicks and one twos created chances. In the second half, he was grinding away on the edge of our box to help his defense. Even though he didn’t score a goal, his play was positive and when you have talented midfielders and wingers around you perhaps scoring a goal is more important than who scores the goal. It would be good for him to score but today he contributed to the win.
