Saturday’s Premier League action commences with a high-stakes encounter between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford.
Despite kicking off last weekend’s Manchester derby on a high, Erik ten Hag’s lads failed to build on Marcus Rashford’s stunning opener as Manchester City ran out 3-1 victors.
Another one-sided derby left United’s top-four hopes in tatters, and anything other than three points against the Toffees would probably spell the end of their Champions League aspirations.
While all the best online gambling sites back the Red Devils for success, they can’t afford to take anything for granted, even though Everton’s dreadful form in 2024 plays into United’s hands.
Like Man Utd, Sean Dyche’s team spurned a lead in a 3-1 home defeat to West Ham United last weekend, deepening the crisis at Goodison Park only days after their survival hopes received a massive boost.
An independent commission reduced the Merseyside outfit’s ten-point deduction to six, propelling them five points clear of the bottom three amidst the club’s woeful ten-game winless league streak.
With Ten Hag’s future under scrutiny, anything less than three points against a beleaguered Everton side would probably prove the end of the road for the Dutchman.
Adding to this sentiment, Man Utd have reportedly opened talks with ex-Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane over a potential takeover, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The stakes are at an all-time high for the former Ajax boss, but facing Everton in these uncertain moments offers some respite.
Man Utd vs Everton H2H
One of United’s most convincing away showings of 2023/24 came at Goodison in December as Ten Hag’s charges, inspired by Alejandro Garnacho’s breathtaking overhead kick, romped Everton 3-0.
That victory was Man Utd’s fourth consecutive win against the Toffees across all competitions and third straight to yield a multiple-goal margin, highlighting the potential for another commanding performance.
On top of that, the Red Devils’ dominance in this fixture is long-standing.
Not since a 1-0 defeat under David Moyes in December 2013 have the 20-time Premier League champions lost a home clash against the downtrodden Merseyside club, racking up six wins and four draws in ten subsequent duels on home turf.
It’s nothing less impressive to note they’ve bagged at least two goals in three of their last four competitive showdowns at the Theatre of Dreams, including a landslide 2-0 triumph in this corresponding match-up in 2022/23.
It’s ‘make or break’
Ten Hag’s troubled tenure has reached a ‘make or break’ point, with Man Utd stranded a whopping 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with only 12 games to go.
Not long ago, the future looked bright for the record-time English champions.
United got the new calendar year off to a flying start, picking up 13 of the available 15 points until mid-February before the disaster struck.
Fulham’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford a fortnight ago came out of the blue as they upset the apple cart amid the Red Devils’ most prolific run of the season.
While no one genuinely expected Ten Hag’s team to win at the Etihad in the following round, United’s performance in the derby left fans with more questions than answers.
Back-to-back defeats in the build-up to the Everton game don’t make for good reading, but United must regroup and take three points if they’re to retain their slim hopes of avoiding another miserable campaign.
Negative implications
Missing out on a coveted Champions League finish would be a significant setback for the club’s lofty ambitions ahead of the first transfer window under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Bologna’s wonder boy, Joshua Zirkzee, has caught United’s eye, as per the Italian publication Tuttosport.
Man Utd’s scouts were at the Gewiss Stadium to watch the Dutch prodigy first-hand. They’ve reportedly returned to the base with rave reviews.
However, a lack of Champions League football would derail the Red Devils’ chances of prevailing in a fierce battle for Zirkzee’s signature.
It’s not just the most prominent European competition at risk.
United could fail to secure continental football altogether unless they get back on track soon as eighth-placed Newcastle United breathe down their necks, reducing the distance to only four points.
Be the first to comment