Manchester United achieved a comfortable victory against Everton (2-0) that protects its place in the Champions League, but suffered an injury to Marcus Rashford, who will hardly be able to be in Seville on Thursday for the Europa League match.
Everything seemed in favor of Manchester United; a comfortable victory against Everton, the return of the Danish Christian Eriksen, injured since January, and the feeling of having recovered his level of play just before the return to European competition, until after a hospitalization Rashford reached out to the adductor and asked for the change.
The striker was clear that he could not continue and a chill ran through Old Trafford, because Rashford, author of eleven goals after returning from the World Cup, is the great star of United since Ronaldo’s departure and the most fit player in the Premier.
Until then, everything was smiling on the Dutchman Erik ten Hag’s team, who did not find excessive resistance from his rival.
Without any filter from Everton in midfield, United enjoyed a highway towards the rival area, because it was enough for them to constantly look for the back of the mismatched defense of the ‘Toffes’ to create danger. Twenty-two shots in the initial period, more than ever since they were counted in the Premier, account for the siege.
In the first half hour alone, between Rashford and Antony, they stood up half a dozen times against Jordan Pickford and only the success of the English international goalkeeper and the post, who repelled a shot from the Brazilian -whose rebound was wasted on an empty goal by Aaron Wan -Bissaka (m.11)-, prevented the match from being resolved before the break.
Nor did Everton take advantage of his only arrival. Ellis Simms, with space and time inside the area, crossed the ball excessively (m.19) and that was where all the danger from Sean Dyche’s men ended, to whom he did not even hit to protect his goal.
The downpour, despite Pickford’s umbrella, ended up permeating thanks to the state of grace of Scotsman Scott McTominay -the executioner of Spain in the debut of De La Fuente- who translated into a goal a perfect assist from Jadon Sancho (m.36).
Confident in their superiority, and perhaps thinking about the game against Sánchez Pizjuán, the intensity of Ten Hag’s team dropped significantly in the second half, which did not prevent Pickford from working, nor did an error in the control of veteran Seamus Coleman offer Rashford the opportunity to leave Anthony Martial alone, so that the Frenchman, a former Sevilla player, scored in the 71st minute against his favorite victim (12 goals in 16 games against the ‘Toffes’).
Everything was ready for the win, until Rashford’s injury in the 78th minute changed the landscape. Everton continued without arguments to worry about and United were more aware of possible news about their star.
2 – Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Alexander Martinez, Malaysia; McTominay, Bruno Fernandes; Antony (Martial, m.60), Sabitzer (Fred, m.77), Sancho (Eriksen, m.77); Rashford (Weghorts, m.80).
0 – Everton: Pickford; Coleman (Patterson, m.87), Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey (Mikolenko, m.46); Gueye (Garner, m.60); Gray, Iwobi, Onana (Davies, m.60), McNeill; Simms (Maupay, m.70).
Goals: 1-0: m.36: McTominay. 2-0: m.71: Martial.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Incidents: Match of the thirtieth day of the Premier League played at Old Trafford.
