Having been docked 10 points for financial fair play breaches, Everton fans voiced their displeasure with a chorus of boo’s as the Premier League anthem sounded out at Goodison Park.
Such hostility meant it was always likely to be a difficult evening for United, but Everton’s sacred ground was soon stunned into silence when Diogo Dalot stood a cross up to the far post and Alejandro Garnacho adjusted his feet and produced what is likely to be the goal of the season with a stunning overhead kick into the top corner.
Buoyed by a burning sense of injustice from a string of questionable refereeing decisions, Everton used the roar of the crowd to their advantage.
But while André Onana produced two fine stops to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin, when the ball did eventually squirm past him from Dwight McNeil’s effort, youngster Kobbie Mainoo was on hand to clear off the line.
United didn’t heed that warning, and were again let off the hook moments later when Abdoulaye Doucouré dragged an effort inches wide of the post.
The Toffees were left rueing those missed opportunities 10 minutes into the second half, when after initially being booked for a dive, Anthony Martial was adjudged by VAR to have been tripped in the area by Ashley Young.
With that yellow card overturned, Marcus Rashford stood over the ball on the penalty spot, and he made no mistake in firing high into the roof of the net past his England teammate Jordan Pickford.
Besides an Idrissa Gueye popshot from distance that forced a fine save from Onana, Everton’s response was fairly muted, as you started to sense the game was up for them.
It certainly was up 15 minutes from time when a swift Red Devils counter was finished off by a sumptuous Anthony Martial dinked finish.
With the game in the bag, Erik ten Hag was able to make some changes with Wednesday’s crucial trip to Turkey to face Galatasaray in mind, needing nothing less than a victory to boost their hopes of advancing to the Champions League knockouts.
It was yet another dreary afternoon for Everton though, who only have Burnley’s misfortunes to thank for the fact they aren’t bottom of the table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
