Manchester United are looking to go 20 games unbeaten when they host Everton at Old Trafford in Tuesday’s evening’s Premier League clash.
Match details
Date: Tuesday April 04
Time: 20.00pm
Venue: Old Trafford
After remaining in 6th place for the majority of the season, Manchester United are finally starting to climb up the Premier League table and they could increase their chances of breaking into the top four with a victory against Everton. They currently sit six points behind Liverpool who are in third place and United have two games in hand still left to play, while they also trail rivals Manchester City by five points.
A victory takes them a huge step closer to their top four rivals but should the result go in Everton’s favour, the Blues could go level on points with Jose Mourinho’s side.
Everton’s defeat in the Merseyside derby on Saturday has put them on the back foot going into the fixture but they showed they were a tough team to compete with in the last fixture between these two sides at Goodison Park.
Team News
Manchester United
The injury list at United has been fairly extensive in recent weeks and Juan Mata has now joined it after undergoing surgery for a groin injury on Friday. He joins defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones on the sidelines but United were bolstered by the return of captain Wayne Rooney on Saturday after he recovered from a knee injury.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed Saturday’s fixture due to suspension but he will be ready to return against Everton on Tuesday evening. Paul Pogba picked up a slight hamstring problem last week but he will also be hoping to make a return to the starting line-up.
Everton
Everton will be without Seamus Coleman after the full-back picked up a horrific leg break while on international duty last week. Centre-back Ramiro Funes-Mori also missed the clash against Liverpool on Saturday and he’s expected to miss out against Manchester United too. Mason Holgate and Matthew Pennington both played their part in the Merseyside derby so they could be selected as stand-ins yet again.
Key Men
Manchester United
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: He has been United’s go-to-man this season and he was on the scoresheet in the first encounter between these two sides back in December. He failed to score in his last three games throughout March but he only played one Premier League fixture. Prior to that, he netted seven goals in just six games and has already tallied up 26 goals this season.
Everton
Idrissa Gueye: The midfielder was the man of the match in the last fixture and he will be crucial yet again at Old Trafford. Everton need him to produce his usual combative performance and he will be important to breaking down play in midfield. He won 75% of his challenges against United in December and produced a solid display to shut out Juan Mata and co.
Stats
- Jose Mourinho is currently on his longest unbeaten run in the Premier League since going 40 games with Chelsea in October 2005. United have won 10 and drawn 9.
- Only West Brom and Burnley have prevented Manchester United from scoring at home this season in all competitions.
- Lukaku has scored just three goals against teams in the top six this season despite netting 21 goals in the 2016-17 campaign so far.
- Everton have kept four clean sheets in their last six games.
- The last time the two sides met, Leighton Baines scored an 89th minute penalty to equalise for Everton after Zlatan Ibrahimovic put United ahead.
Prediction
United have been in their best form of the season despite relatively little movement in the league table. Everton go into the game on the back of a horrible defeat to their fiercest rivals at Anfield and will face a tough mental challenge to pick themselves up and travel to Old Trafford. United always look like scoring on their own turf too so they will surely be the more confident out of the two sides.
Manchester United 2-0 Everton
