Everton 0-3 Man Utd (Garnacho 3′, Rashford 56′ pen, Martial 75′)
GOODISON PARK — Typical Everton. Fans raise over £40,000 and get 40,000 people assembled for a well-planned protest, on their first chance to let the Premier League know what they think of their 10-point deduction – all to help to create a bearpit atmosphere – and they get the goal of the season dropped on them 133 seconds into the contest.
Alejandro Garnacho had no right to arrow home an overhead kick from the edge of the box, a strike that set Manchester United on their way to a fourth successive away league win. Especially not on this day of all days. One of the greatest goals in history, one the Premier League can use as a further tool to enhance the “Best League in the World” branding.
What followed, was, and it is a low bar when discussing this version of United, certainly the club’s best performance of the season and arguably most consistent throughout the 90 minutes away from home under Erik ten Hag.
The fact Everton could and should have been at least level by half-time suggests such a claim is bordering on the blasphemous, but no corner has been turned or anything like that. This, for United, was just much, much better.
“I don’t know if it was the best [performance],” Ten Hag said.
“We started very good, exactly how we planned, scored a great goal, but we were too passive for the rest of the first half.
“Second half we were proactive, though. The players were very composed in difficult circumstances. Well done to everyone.”
There were fears that the trip down the M62 would make United’s midweek trip to “Hell” to take on Galatasaray look like a village fete as Evertonians planned to ensure the flames in this inferno burned blue.
Crowds gathered hours before kick-off, erecting their huge banners, engulfing the entire facades of several buildings down County Road outside the stadium.
But these weren’t old bedsheets with slogans painted on using their kid’s spare poster paint, these were professionally made, adorned with well-thought out prose, more akin to the opening gambit of Papal Audience in St Peter’s Square: “Where there is power, greed and money there is corruption.”
With supporters still holding up their pink cards emblazoned with “corrupt” as the match kicked off, Diogo Dalot floated a hopeful ball across, a wayward one at that as Garnacho had to severely backtrack.
WHAT A GOAL ALEJANDRO GARNACHO!!!!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 26, 2023pic.twitter.com/L9h1inY5rT
As the teenager went up for the overhead kick, the early stages of groans were audible from United staff in the press box, aghast the Argentine would even attempt such an audacious effort, one that surely no good could come of.
Reminiscent of Wayne Rooney against Manchester City in 2011, only this time without a hint of a shinpad involved, Garnacho’s strike was so good it changed the zeitgeist – Goodison Park forgot it was there to protest.
Even fireworks in the 13th minute outside the ground failed to revive their stunned supporters. The players could do little to lighten the mood either.
There were heroic goal-line clearances, several fine saves from under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana, but as is often the case around these parts, Everton only had themselves to blame for not letting their first-half pressure count.
With the club at its lowest ebb, one goal was always going to kill Everton off, and the manner of that clinching strike made a further indent in the spirit around Goodison Park, just for good measure.
Man of the match – Kobbie Mainoo
Overshadowed by Garnacho’s stunner, the United full debutant had an afternoon to remember.
Initially, Anthony Martial was cautioned for diving under a challenge from Ashley Young, much to the pleasure of supporters feeling victimised by another figure of authority, only for VAR to change the referee’s mind and award the penalty. It could only happen to Everton.
Rashford was handed the penalty responsibility over Bruno Fernandes, hammering home his first goal since 3 September, before Martial put the icing on the cake with a fine third, his seventh goal against Everton during his unbecoming time in England.
A flattering scoreline? Perhaps. Vintage United? No. Signs of life? Certainly.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/kBJi7TX
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