Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways when they face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Premier League season is resuming this week with Gameweek 26 with the game between Leicester City and Brentford on Friday night. Everton vs Manchester United will kick things off at Goodison Park on Saturday, with both teams eager to clinch three points.
David Moyes has turned things around at Everton since taking over from Sean Dyche at Goodison Park. As the famous ground prepares to bid goodbye to the Merseyside club, the Toffees have been creating memories to last a lifetime. Moyes has lost only twice since returning to Everton, with one of those defeats in the FA Cup, while the latest victory came against Crystal Palace last weekend.
On the other hand, Manchester United have struggled for consistency under the tutelage of Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils have barely won any Premier League games under the Portuguese tactician, with the latest setback coming against Tottenham Hotspur, losing 1-0 in North London last weekend. That result dropped Manchester United to 15th in the standings.
The reverse fixture saw a rare Premier League win for Amorim, with Manchester United cruising to a 4-0 win over Everton in December. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
David Moyes has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Everton manager will be bereft of the services of as many as eight first-team players vs Manchester United on Saturday.
Abdoulaye Doucoure is available after serving a suspension last weekend against Crystal Palace. However, Seamus Coleman (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring), Orel Mangala (knee), Dwight McNeil (knee), Youssef Chermiti (thigh), Iliman Ndiaye (knee), Armando Broja (ankle), and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-4-1-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Saturday. The backline should feature Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
As for the midfield unit, James Garner and Idrissa Gueye should keep things tight in the middle of the park, with Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison being the two wide attackers. Finally, Beto will lead the line for Everton against Manchester United, with Carlos Alcaraz reprising the no. 10 role.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Lindstrom, Gueye, Garner, Harrison; Alcaraz; Beto
Manchester United
Like his counterpart in the Everton dugout, Ruben Amorim should greet positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Goodison Park. The Manchester United manager might be without as many as 11 first-team players on Saturday.
Leny Yoro (illness), Manuel Ugarte (knock), and Christian Eriksen (illness) hope to return to action this weekend. However, Altay Bayindir (unspecified), Jonny Evans (lower back), Lisandro Martinez (knee), Luke Shaw (calf), Kobbie Mainoo (muscle), Toby Collyer (muscle), Amad Diallo (ankle), and Mason Mount (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Andre Onana will take his spot between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Everton on Saturday. The central defensive unit should feature Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu will continue as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and support the centre-backs during the defensive phases. As for the midfield unit, Bruno Fernandes should pair up with Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will likely spearhead the Manchester United attack against Everton, with Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, de Ligt; Dalot, Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Zirkzee, Garnacho; Hojlund
Key Stats
- Everton have lost their last five Premier League games vs Manchester United, failing to score in the four most recent meetings. The Toffees last lost five consecutive league games without reply against an opponent (Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1957 and 1960).
- Everton have won four of their last five Premier League games (D1), more than they had in their first 20 (W3 D8 L9). That is the latest into a season they are facing Manchester United while above them in the standings since their 35th game in 2013/14 (Everton 5th, Manchester United 7th).
- Manchester United have failed to score in ten Premier League games this season, with only Everton (12) doing so more often. It is the joint-most games in which the Red Devils have failed to find the back of the net in a single season in the competition, along with 2004/05 and 2015/16. The Red Devils have scored only one first-half goal in their last ten Premier League games. It is the longest run of games they have ever had in the competition without scoring a non-penalty strike in the first half, overtaking a run of nine matches from February to May 2021.
- Everton have scored at least twice in their last three Premier League home games, last having a longer run between October and December 2017 (5). The Toffees have netted 12 goals in their five most recent Premier League games (home and away), more than they had in their previous 16 (11).
- David Moyes has won his last two Premier League home games against Manchester United, beating them 1-0 and 2-0 with West Ham United in May and December 2023. He also won his most recent home league game against the Red Devils in charge of Everton, beating them 1-0 in August 2012.
Player to Watch
Beto
While Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, and Carlos Alcaraz were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Beto as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s game. He has scored four goals in his last three Premier League games, as many as in his first 44 appearances in the competition.
Beto is averaging a goal every 88 minutes, and he has a shot conversion rate of 40% under David Moyes, compared to a goal every 290 minutes and a 7.4% conversion rate under Sean Dyche. The 27-year-old has scored in his last three Premier League outings. The most recent Everton player to score in four consecutive games was Richarlison in March 2021, while the last to do so under David Moyes was Mikel Arteta in April 2010.
Prediction
Everton 2-1 Manchester United
Everton might not have as solid a defensive record under David Moyes as they did under the tutelage of Sean Dyche. However, the Toffees are more potent in the final third, with the Scottish tactician bringing the best out of Beto, while Carlos Alcaraz has been impressive since joining the Merseyside club.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s struggles across the park should shine again, although they might find a way to score. However, that might not be enough to take anything from Saturday’s game, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 2-1 win for Moyes and his charges.
