Everton vs Manchester United Preview

Everton will return to football action for the first time after their record ten-point deduction by the Premier League when they take on Manchester United at Goodison Park this Sunday.

It was all smiles for the Toffees before the international break as they dispatched of Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park to make it three wins from their last four competitive matches (D1). That win helped them to move eight points clear of the bottom three.

But the unprecedented ten-point deduction handed out by the league authorities for breaching financial rules over the international break plunged the hosts into the relegation zone and two points from safety.

Everton have been undeterred by the sanction and have vowed to keep standing firm as they brace for another relegation dogfight. The aggrieved Goodison Park fans are set to be at their thundering best in this game as they hope to show their displeasure towards the Premier League.

Just one win from the club’s last eight PL matches against Manchester United (D4, L3) suggests their north-west foes might not be an ideal opponent to resume football against. They are in danger of becoming the first side in PL history to lose 40 H2H games to one single opponent (W10, D13, L39 v United).

While Everton come into this crisis, the same cannot be said of United, who are in good shape on and off the field. On the field, United are arriving as the side to have picked up more league points than any other across the last five PL rounds (W4, L1). Away from the pitch, their ownership tussle seems to be coming to a conclusion, with Sir Jim Ratcliff acquiring a 25% stake at the club.

However, despite this, there’s a sense that United are still not in their best shape, as all four of their recent PL victories came by a slender one-goal margin against teams starting the round in the bottom half. They also have suffered three defeats in their last five games across all competitions.

The pressure, therefore, remains on manager Erik ten Hag despite United’s improving away form. Since losing their opening two PL away trips, the Red Devils have won each of the subsequent three – their longest such run in the competition since a ten-game streak under Ole Gunnar Solskjær between June and December 2020.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table