Everton host Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, having taken four points from their first two matches. Our Everton vs Manchester United prediction is a draw, with David Moyes’ side already showing they can take points from matches they do not control.
Jack Grealish is back, too. Everton re-signed him on loan from Manchester City on Sept. 1, and he framed the fixture himself: “I can’t wait to be back at Hill Dickinson on Sunday.” Iliman Ndiaye went the other way to Manchester City on the same
day after starting both of Everton’s league matches.
United’s two games do not belong to the same team. At Hull they had 71.6 percent possession, their highest since September 2023, took 21 shots, put in 34 open-play crosses, their most in a Premier League game in almost eight years, generated 1.81 expected goals and lost 2-0. It was the first time in their league history they had lost an opening fixture to a newly promoted side. Bruno Fernandes diagnosed it himself: “same mistakes as we did last season, every away game we give too much of the ball to them.”
Then they beat Ipswich 5-2 at Old Trafford with Fernandes scoring a hat-trick from eight shots, his joint-most in a Premier League match. It was his second Premier League hat-trick and both have come in United’s opening home game of a season. He now has 17 goal involvements in his last 15 league games against promoted sides. Carrick’s reaction was to refuse the compliment: “we’re not getting carried away. We haven’t cracked it, there’s a long way to go.”
Which of those United turns up depends on what Everton do, and Everton will do the Hull thing. Moyes’ side beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in their opener while conceding 2.04 expected goals, the highest figure Palace have managed in a game without scoring since December 2018, because Pickford was outstanding. Then they drew 1-1 at Bournemouth through a James Tarkowski header from a corner in stoppage time. This is a team grinding results rather than controlling games, and it has four points from two.
The loss of Ndiaye is the thing that could undo it. He started both games and was Everton’s most direct creator, and the replacement is a loanee who has played 20 league games in 18 months. Grealish keeping the ball in the areas Everton have to defend from is worth more against this United than a winger would be, because United’s problem at Hull was that possession produced nothing. Give them the ball and make them cross it and they have shown they will.
Premier League Schedule
It’s an afternoon kickoff in the UK, which means a 9:00 a.m. kickoff on the East Coast of the U.S.
Premier League Channel
The match is on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK. Those Stateside can watch on USA. For Spanish language coverage, tune into Telemundo. In Canada, it’s on DAZN and Fubo.
Everyone else, head on over to LiveSoccerTV to find your viewing options.
Predicted Lineup
Manchester United possible starting lineup: (4-2-3-1): Senne Lammens; Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Matheus Cunha
