Manchester United vs Everton

Manchester United’s quest to dig themselves out of a troubled Premier League start continues at Old Trafford against out-of-sorts Everton.

After a 3-2 home win against Bodo/Glimt in midweek UEFA Europa League action, new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim feels relieved ahead of his Premier League debut at Old Trafford. That win didn’t only see the Red Devils bounce back from a gut-wrenching 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, but it also extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches (W3, D2). Yet to lose since relieving Erik ten Hag of his duties, there’s a renewed sense of optimism around the Man Utd camp, even though they still languish in the Premier League lower reaches, six points adrift of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest. Everton’s visit can inspire more confidence, with United winning an all-time Premier League record 41 matches against this opposition, including the last four on the trot.

 That’s Everton’s worst streak in this fixture since a run of nine defeats between 1999 and 2004, highlighting the size of the task awaiting Sean Dyche’s underachievers this weekend. Despite playing with a man up for over 50 minutes, the Toffees shared the spoils with Brentford in a tepid 0-0 home draw last weekend, making it three consecutive Premier League outings without scoring (D2, L1). Stuck only two points clear of the bottom three, Everton head to Manchester seeking only their second away league victory since December 2023 (W1, D6, L10). However, that’s a tall order, considering the Merseyside strugglers have only won once on their last 31 top-flight visits to Old Trafford (D8, L22), courtesy of a narrow 1-0 triumph in 2013.