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Portsmouth Overwhelmed as United Advance

Portsmouth never stood a chance in tonight's game, conceding seven goals on the night

By Felix Short | September 22, 2021, 9:48 PM EST

Amad got the start and showed well with an assist and a goal against an overmatched Portsmouth squad. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United hosted Portsmouth F.C. tonight in the third round of the EFL Cup, in what turned into a thumping of the League One side, 7-1 at Old Trafford. This game against the overmatched Portsmouth side allowed United to play many of the faces we haven’t seen yet this season, and the “out-of-form”-side did not disappoint.

While the final score was welcomed with open arms, it did take a bit for United to get going. In fact, Portsmouth came in and smacked United in the mouth with the opening goal in the fourth minute. Midfielder George Hirst found striker Tyler Walker to give Portsmouth a 1-0 lead. This clearly shocked United as it took them a bit longer to build into the game. Matters were made worse when Edinson Cavani injured his shoulder in the 15th minute and was forced to come out of the game. This United squad, full of youngsters, almost looked too small for the moment. But veterans Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard eventually managed to breakthrough with the equalizer in the 23rd minute. United was off to the races from there.

Anthony Elanga tapped in a rebound in the 27th minute and Harry Maguire headed in a Donny van de Beek corner in the 41st minute to give United a 3-1 halftime lead. The second half was all United. Anthony Martial toyed with the Portsmouth goalkeeper, leading to an Amad tap in in the 50th minute. A bad Portsmouth turnover led to an Amad cross, which Elanga headed in in the 69th minute. Hannibal Mejbri came on and nailed a rocket from outside the box in the 72nd minute. And Donny van de Beek closed the scoring for the night with a tap in after Jesse Lingard played with the defenders a bit as well. By midway through the second half, Portsmouth was shot and United didn’t let up until they scored that seventh goal.

“We played well,” said Manchester United manager Thomas Walker after the game, “We did what we had to do, and we got contributions from some guys that we hadn’t so far this season.”

Dean Henderson, Phil Jones, Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matić, Amad, Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek all got their first starts of the season. For Henderson and Jones, it was their first action of the season. It was also the senior team debut for and Björn Hardley, and the season debut for youngster Hannibal Mehbri. Mejbri became the star of the show almost immediately upon entering the game. His first touch resulted in a drive and shot on goal that took a rather impressive save to keep out. Mejbri wouldn’t be denied on this night though, as he was able to put a screamer into the top corner of the net in the 72nd minute.

“It was a dream come true,” said Mejbri after the game, “I just can’t believe it happened. In this stadium. It was all a dream. It was all amazing. I’m so happy right now.”

Donny van de Beek went down as the man of the match after playing great defense and being a part of three goal contributions. van de Beek must’ve felt good after failing to shine in his limited time so far this season. van de Beek has struggled to make an impact at United since coming over from Ajax and a game like this may be exactly what he needs to get some confidence.

Phil Jones also must be feeling good tonight. Jones was once billed as a star, but he hasn’t even suited up for United in 21 months as he’s been dealing with injuries. Jones played well today and may have played himself into a role with Thomas Walker.

Dean Henderson, who doesn’t seem poised to overtake David De Gea after all, will likely serve this season as the team’s cup goalkeeper. He played well in today’s game.

Other United players worthy of mention for their performances were Anthony Elanga, Amad, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles and Nemanja Matić.

United will play host to Aston Villa this Saturday.


Portsmouth: 1
Goal Scorers: Tyler Walker (3'); Assists: George Hirst

Manchester United: 7
Goal Scorers: (23’), (27’), (41’), (50’), (69’), (72’), (75’)

Assists: , , , , , ,

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Cavani Out with Shoulder Injury

Manchester United Striker Edinson Cavani will miss United's next two games

By Felix Short | September 23, 2021, 7:14 AM EST

Edinson Cavani was frustrated he was forced to leave Wednesday's game early. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United defeated Portsmouth F.C. in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night 7-1. Despite the lopsided victory, United still managed to lose one, as striker Edinson Cavani left the game in just the 15th minute with a shoulder injury.

The injury is not considered serious, but Cavani is doubtful for United’s next two games. They play this weekend against Aston Villa, then play host to Atalanta in a Champions League matchup next week.

“We’re going to miss Edinson, that’s for sure,” said United manager Thomas Walker in his Q&A session with the media on Thursday morning. “Edinson is talented and reliable. He’s a tremendous player, and we’ll miss him for however long he is gone.”

Cavani has played second fiddle at striker this season as Cristiano Ronaldo has demanded the bulk of the minutes at the spot. Still, Thomas Walker has managed to find Cavani plenty of minutes, and Cavani’s demonstrated a knack as a second striker. Cavani has appeared in five games so far this season and is coming off back-to-back starts against West Ham and Portsmouth. He scored in United’s 5-1 win at Southampton last month.

Cavani, 34, has scored 371 goals in his illustrious career, having spent time with Paris Saint-German, Napoli, Palermo, and Denubio prior to arriving at Old Trafford last October.


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United Draw Liverpool in Next Round of EFL Cup

The storied rivalry will highlight the match ups of the fifth round

By Felix Short | September 23, 2021, 11:44 AM EST

Mo Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo will do battle in back-to-back games in late October. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

London, England – The draw for the fifth round of the EFL Cup was finalized this evening, and the juiciest match up will take place at Anfield, as Liverpool will host Manchester United.

The game will take place on Wednesday night, October 27th, 2021. Manchester United is slated to host Liverpool on Sunday, October 24th for their Premier League match up, so fans of United and Liverpool will be treated to back-to-back showdowns of some of the most storied teams in English football.

Liverpool defeated second-tier side Blackpool F.C. 2-0 in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, with Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta scoring in the first thirty minutes for Liverpool.

Manchester United trounced third-tier side Portsmouth F.C. at Old Trafford last night, getting goal contributions from Anthony Elanga, Jesse Lingard, Harry Maguire, Amad, Hannibal Mejbri and Donny van de Beek.


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Villa Dominates United at Old Trafford

Supporters stunned to see United shutout by an underdog Aston Villa side

By Felix Short | September 25, 2021, 9:04 PM EST

John McGinn, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins all scored in the shutout victory against Man United. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Aston Villa arrived at Old Trafford this morning determined to make a statement, and they did exactly that, thumping Manchester United 3-0 in an early league game. United, who is coming off a tremendous streak of winning soccer, was thoroughly outplayed in the rain by the boys from Birmingham.

Aston Villa started the game off well, capitalizing early in the tenth minute. Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn fired a shot on goal, which was deflected by Victor Lindelöf, giving David De Gea no shot at the save. The stats indicate that the first half was fairly even, but by all observational estimation, Aston Villa seemed in control of the game. Fate added injury to insult in the later stages of the first half as Jesse Lingard was injured, forcing a questionable move to Juan Mata over the likes of Paul Pogba.

Aston Villa took their 1-0 lead into the half time. They doubled their lead early in the second half, after a terrible blunder by Luke Shaw put the ball at the feet of Danny Ings in front of goal. He didn’t miss and United found themselves trailing 2-0 in the 53rd minute. It was clear by the final twenty minutes that United had no intention of making a comeback, as Thomas Walker put the youngster Hannibal Mejbri in the game to close out the action. Aston Villa sub Ollie Watkins found a header from Phillippe Coutinho in the 80th minute to seal the deal as Villa began celebrating their three-nil win at Old Trafford.

“It was a tough game,” said Thomas Walker, who faced criticism after the game for his lineup selection, “We didn’t have it today and they did, and when that happens, at this level, the result won’t be pretty. There’s not much else to be said. We’re not even going to worry about licking our wounds. It’s just hats off to Villa and our focus turns to our upcoming game against Atalanta.”

Walker received criticism for a number of strange decisions in this game. After electing to start Jesse Lingard over Paul Pogba, Walker doubled down by using Juan Mata when Lingard had to leave the game with an injury in the second half. Walker also chose Mata over Donny van de Beek, who showed well against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup recently. Walker also received criticism for his decision to punt on this game, which was made obvious by the subbing on of Hannibal Mejbri for Bruno Fernandes in the 70th minute.

Mejbri has only made two appearances with the senior team before today. With that said, Mejbri did provide a bit of a spark offensively when he came on, similar to when he came on against Portsmouth.

Despite giving up three goals, David De Gea also had a good game, saving nine shots against an Aston Villa offense that seemed poised to attack all game. They got off nineteen shots, and David De Gea played a crucial role in the score line not being worse. He was only surpassed by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who earned man of the match honors for giving up zero goals on seventeen United shots.

United don’t have much time to lick their wounds as they host Atalanta in a big Champions League match up on Tuesday night. Perhaps that game was playing on the mind of Walker when he elected to sub off Bruno Fernandes early and left Paul Pogba on the bench.

With the win, Aston Villa moves up to seventh with nine points. Manchester United fall to fifth with ten points in the early going of the season.


Aston Villa: 3
Goal Scorers: John McGinn (10'), Danny Ings (53'), Ollie Watkins (80'); Assists: Phillippe Coutinho

Manchester United: 0
Goal Scorers: n/a; Assists: n/a

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Rumour: Details of Daniel Hanssen Signing Emerge

The £4.2 Million Signing of 16-year-old Daniel Hanssen has gone under the radar so far

By Logan Plant / @plantlounited / September 26, 2021, 7:30 AM EST

16-year-old Norwegian Daniel Hanssen made the decision to move to United with his older brother Ove in July (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Rumor – Details have emerged regarding July’s signing of 16-year-old Daniel Hanssen from Lillestrøm SK’s Youth Academy. Hanssen made the announcement that he would be joining United on his twitter account just hours after Thomas Walker was announced as the next manager. Walker was officially introduced as United’s manager on July 1st, and the team announced the signing of Hanssen in a press note just hours later. So, while much of the energy that Hanssen’s move would have normally garnered was lost in the energy and excitement of Thomas Walker’s big day, much of the detail is now beginning to leak out.

Sources have confirmed with RedDevilUnited.com that Manchester United are set to send £4.2 million to Lillestrøm SK for Hanssen. United will also pay £800k for Daniel’s older brother Ove, who is a 17-year-old midfielder. This means that the United board will send £5 million to the Norwegian side in exchange for one of the brightest young prospects in Norwegian football. The addition of Daniel’s brother Ove adds intrigue to the purchase, as little was known about the diminutive Ove before he arrived at United’s Academy.

The fact that Hanssen made this decision immediately after Thomas Walker was announced as the next United coach does point to one of the most underappreciated aspects of the Walker hire. Walker is and wanted to be intimately connected to the Youth Development and Recruitment program at United. Walker has proven to be incredibly personable and has shown a special talent for recruiting young players to join his team, as evidenced by his track record at Lille. It’s clear that Walker was targeting this youngster to bring to Lille when the decision was made to appoint Walker as United’s next head man. Walker phoned Hanssen with the news and convinced the promising young attacker to move to Northwest England instead of Northern France.

It should not be as surprising that Hanssen would follow Walker to Manchester, as that United would spend such a hefty fee on the word of a coach who had not even arrived yet. It doesn’t appear that Manchester United’s scouting team had identified or pursued Hanssen prior to the appointment of Walker. Perhaps it was a welcome gift to Walker, as United has made it clear they would make no additional big money signings during the summer transfer window.

Or perhaps this is the United way now. In recent seasons the team has spent £19 million to bring in Amad from Atalanta, £9 million to bring in Facundo Pellistri from Peñarol, £5 million to bring in Hannibal Mejbri from AS Monaco, and £1 million to bring in Bruno Schmitt from VfB Stuttgart. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have all engaged in the practice of signing talented youngsters before they are ready to make an impact with the senior squad, and it appears that Manchester United is ready to join that group.


MORE FROM RED DEVIL UNITED
Confirmed: Mejbri, Shoretire and Hardley to temporarily train with first team
Rumor: United Looking Closely at Wolfsburg's Lacroix
What I'm Hearing: Hahn, Hanssen, Mejbri
Rumor: United Interested in Signing Rüdiger
Thoughts: Will Any Lille Stars Follow Walker to United?

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United Coach and Faithful Impressed by Mejbri

Hannibal Mejbri was given an opportunity with the first team over the past week, and did not disappoint

By Felix Short | September 27, 2021, 7:41 AM EST

Hannibal Mejbri impressed in an EFL Cup game, which earned him minutes against Aston Villa. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Last week Manchester United coach Thomas Walker announced that he would be calling 18-year-olds Hannibal Mejbri and Björn Hardley to train with the senior team. Walker anticipated an opportunity to get the youngsters some playing time in last week’s EFL Cup game against third-tier Portsmouth, and both youngsters did see the field. This was presented as a reward for the excellent performances that the youngsters were putting in for the Under-23 side.

One of them, Hannibal Mejbri, really caught the attention of both Walker and the United fanbase. After coming on in the 57th minute against Portsmouth, Mejbri seemed to further jolt a flourishing offense to a new level. Rarely does any player impact the tempo and flow of a game as much as Mejbri did in his season debut. He was rewarded only a few minutes later with a goal to put his name in the record book as United defeated Portsmouth 7-1.

“He was really fun to watch,” said Thomas Walker after the game, “we really felt that Hannibal came in and changed the game. I think it was obvious for the fans too, but clearly from the coaching staff’s perspective he was electric.”

That performance earned him a seat on the bench in United’s embarrassing performance against Aston Villa, which ironically earned him some game time in a Premier League game. Coming in for the final fifteen minutes in order to give Bruno Fernandes a rest on a day in which he didn’t have his best stuff, Mejbri again sparked the team. United had waved the white flag in that game, but Mejbri came in and fought and made a few things happen. He earned significant applause from the fan base for his level of intensity on a rainy day that would see United lose 3-0 at home.

“I’m just so happy that I got to be here,” said Mejbri after the game. Mejbri was bought from AS Monaco in 2019 when he was a 16-year-old for £5 million. He’s a graduate of the legendary Clairefontaine Academy in France and has been rumored to be getting a call up to the Tunisian national team during the upcoming international window.

Thomas Walker did put a wet towel on the excitement after United’s loss to Everton, announcing that Mejbri, along with Björn Hardley and 17-year-old Shola Shoretire would return to working with the youth team. Still, United fans should not be surprised to see Mejbri back with the senior team at some point this season.


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United Earn 3-1 Win over Atalanta

Manchester United earned their second win in Champions League competition on Tuesday night

By Felix Short | September 28, 2021, 11:54 PM EST

John McGinn, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins all scored in the shutout victory against Man United. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United won their second Champions League game on night, and Cristiano Ronaldo added to his scoring pace, defeating Atalanta 3-1 in a game that kept United fans on the edge of their seats for most of the game.

This back-and-forth game went scoreless into the half, after Atalanta striker Duván Zapata twice found himself open for a shot, that required acrobatic heroics from David De Gea to keep out of the net. Zapata found paydirt in the early second half though, as he took a pass from Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, stepped to his right and hit a screamer from outside the box into the top right corner of the net. As good as David De Gea had been, he was not going to be saving that.

After bringing on Marcus Rashford following that goal, United was able to turn the game over and regain momentum. Rashford’s speed disorganized the Atalanta defense, which gave the opening United needed to tie the game. This came as Pogba put a through ball past the Atalanta defense to Ronaldo’s feet, who found himself with a one-v-one with the keeper and nailed the inside post in the 73rd minute. Pogba and Ronaldo would hit pay dirt again in the 81st minute when Anthony Martial hit a through ball to a streaking Paul Pogba, who hit a beautiful cross to Cristiano Ronaldo for the tap in. United put the game away in the 88th minute after a corner kick found the right foot of Anthony Martial who pounded it in to seal a 3-1 win, and three points in the Champions’ League Group Stage.

“I love how we fought,” said United manager after the game, “I think we really left it all out on the field. We struggled at times, but our mentality never crumbled and eventually it broke through. That’s all I can ask for from the lads. They’ve really put themselves in a good position moving forward.”

Cristiano Ronaldo won man of the match honors for his two goals. Ronaldo now has six Champions’ League goals in two games and looks poised to send Manchester United on another deep run through the tournament. Ronaldo has twelve goals through United’s first nine games of the season.

“We really showed our heart,” Ronaldo said after the game. “I believe this team can win the whole tournament.”

Raphaël Varane, Fred, Eric Bailly, Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all also showed out well for United in the win.

Atalanta find themselves in trouble of not qualifying for the knockout stages after getting upset by Young Boys on Match Day One. They now enter their third match with Villarreal with zero points and in last place. Young Boys and Villarreal are tied with three points after Villarreal defeated Young Boys tonight. United top the group with six points and a plus-five goal differential.

Manchester United will host Everton this Saturday.


Atalanta: 1
Goal Scorers: Duván Zapata (58'); Assists: Teun Koopmeiners

Manchester United: 3
Goal Scorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (73'), Cristiano Ronaldo (81'), Anthony Martial (88'); Assists: Paul Pogba, Paul Pogba

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What I'm Hearing: Schmitt, Shoretire, Hanssen

There is a lot of excitement about the crop of youngsters that make up the Under-23 squad

By Logan Plant / @plantlounited / September 30, 2021, 7:30 AM EST

Ove Hanssen has turned heads after arriving unheralded from Lillestrøm SK (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

What I’m Hearing – Manchester United has one of the most celebrated youth academies in world soccer, having produced some of the legends of the game including the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville. Today, the youth academy is still an integral part of the lifeblood of United’s identity. With that in mind, here are some things I’m hearing about the youngsters.

Bruno Schmitt – Bruno Schmitt came into the season as the consensus top prospect in the Manchester United Youth System but has struggled to adapt to the U-23 level. The 6’7” giant was excellent last season with the U-18 squad, but he has failed to carry that momentum over to the youth team. United bought Schmitt when he turned 16 last summer from VfB Stuttgart, as a potential goalkeeper of the future. David De Gea is now 31, and it doesn’t appear that United sees Dean Henderson as the future, so the opportunity and excitement was there for Schmitt. Schmitt has been underwhelming so far however and appears unlikely to reach the lofty ceiling that United has envisioned for him a few months ago. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a high-quality player, but United will want to see him improve. Some believed he may be ready for a loan to a team that would offer him first team football during the Winter transfer window, but that seems increasingly unlikely after his play this season.

Shola Shoretire – Manchester United’s youth team always seems to be filled with attacking talent. Despite bigger names like Daniel Hanssen and Hannibal Mejbri looking for more snaps, I’m told that 17-year-old Shola Shoretire has been the leading scorer for United’s Under-23 squad so far. He was particularly special in a two-goal performance against Blackburn Rovers U-23 squad in late-September. He followed that up with a goal against Everton U-23 a week later. Those performances earned him some training time with the first team squad earlier this month. Shoretire featured on the bench for United’s 7-1 win over Portsmouth in the EFL Cup but did not see the field. Still, Shoretire looks like a kid poised to make the jump to first team football in 2022 and does not seem long for the youth game.

Ove Hanssen – There’s an old entertainer’s trick to save the best for last, and that’s what I’ve done here. Ove Hanssen arrived at Manchester’s Youth Academy this summer as an afterthought. He was the less heralded older brother of the much-hyped Daniel. United bought Ove in somewhat of a package deal for £800k, in what many felt was just an excuse to pay more for his younger brother. That doesn’t appear to be the case. Ove has come on stunningly well for a newcomer. United started him with the Under-18’s before watching him dominate for 180 minutes. He quickly earned promotion to the Under-23 team, where he’s spent the last month as arguably the team’s best player. When Hannibal Mejbri joined the first team, Ove was the undisputed best player on the squad. As an attacking midfielder, he showed no drop off from the level that Hannibal Mejbri displayed in the early parts of the season. It is easy to see why Ove was overlooked. He is small, maybe 5-foot-5, and isn’t particularly athletic. This is in sharp contrast to his 6-foot older brother who has a significantly better athletic profile. But Ove is a gamer, and while his upside may not be as high due to his size, he seems like he may actually impact Manchester United’s first team after all. From afterthought to potential first team call up, Ove has had an incredibly start to his time in England.

MORE FROM RED DEVIL UNITED
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Confirmed: Mejbri, Shoretire and Hardley to temporarily train with first team
Rumor: United Looking Closely at Wolfsburg's Lacroix
What I'm Hearing: Hahn, Hanssen, Mejbri
Rumor: United Interested in Signing Rüdiger

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Edinson Cavani has returned to training today #MUFC

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October Storylines: Manchester United

Can United answer some of the lingering early season questions?

By Felix Short | October 1, 2021, 7:30 AM EST

United have gotten off to an okay start to the season, but serious questions remain. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, United Kingdom – Manchester United has kicked off its 2021-22 campaign, but so far, we've received very little in the way of answers to our questions. Is United good enough? Do they have the right talent? Here are some of the most pressing questions for October.

Is Thomas Walker Playing Too Many Youngsters?

One of the most notable features of the early season for Manchester United has been the frequency with which fans have seen 19-year-olds Anthony Elanga and Amad. Each has featured four times, with Anthony Elanga earning four starts in the team’s first eight games. Diallo also has four appearances this season and earned his first start in United’s recent EFL Cup win over third-tier Portsmouth. Both players started that game and both scored in that game, but have had a much smaller impact in their Premier League appearances. So the question for United fans is should Thomas Walker be giving so many minutes to guys who may not be ready to have a top-flight impact. This seems to be the way Thomas Walker is built so there should be no expectation of this changing, but perhaps United is not the right club for this. Only time will tell.

Does Walker know who United’s Best XI Are?

Including Anthony Elanga, Thomas Walker has started nineteen different players in Premier League and Champions League competition so far this season. This begs the question: Does Thomas Walker know who his best eleven are? It’s clear that Ronaldo is the main man up top. Raphaël Varane and David De Gea have locked up spots on defense and in net, and Bruno Fernandes is a main stay. For everyone else? There’s still question marks. Is Aaron Wan-Bissaka the starter at Right Back or is Diogo Dalot going to push him out? What about Luke Shaw and Alex Telles? Is it Fred or Scott McTominay? Jadon Sancho only has one more start than Anthony Elanga so far this season and has yet to net a goal. Will Manchester United find some consistency over the next month in terms of their best XI?

Is there a role for Donny van de Beek?

Donny van de Beek was bought by United last summer for $47.5 million to much fanfare. But he has yet to really make a breakthrough with United. He appeared in 19 games for United last season, but the majority of those came off the bench. This season, he still seems to be behind the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Fred, and Scott McTominay. This season, he only made two bench appearances before getting the start against third-tier Portsmouth in United’s EFL Cup opener. While he played well against the overmatched Portsmouth-side, he looked uncomfortable in his two Premier League appearances so far. Does Donny van de Beek have a role in this club? At 24, he needs to be playing consistently, and if United can’t offer him that, it may be time to move on soon.

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Portuguese Stars Lead United Past Everton

Goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes led Manchester United past Everton, 2-1

By Felix Short | October 2, 2021, 5:59 PM EST

Bruno Fernandes tied the game in the 25th minute to help United win 2-1. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United defeated Everton on Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford in a game they should feel lucky to escape with three points. Manchester United beat Frank Lampard’s side 2-1 in a game in which they were outshot by their opponent 16-5. But, Ronaldo and the like are paid to be clinical, and United was able to hold off Everton long enough to escape on top.

Everton played this game in a low block to try and restrict the fire-hot Cristiano Ronaldo, and it worked, giving them plenty of opportunities on the counter. It worked as Everton were able to take the lead to start the game when poor defensive positioning on the counter allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin the free space necessary to get a one-on-one with David De Gea. De Gea came out to try and close the gap, but Calvert-Lewin chipped it over his head to take the lead in the 19th minute. United never seemed to gel on the day, but individual brilliance is a perfectly reasonable way to win a soccer match, and that’s what Marcus Rashford displayed in the 25th minute with a breathtaking pass between three Everton defenders to Bruno Fernandes in front of goal. The Portuguese midfielder did the rest by slamming it into the back of the net to even it at one. It would stay that way into the half.

Cristiano Ronaldo would make his presence felt immediately after the break, after former Manchester United Youth Michael Keane made a terrible pass that was easily intercepted by a pressing Ronaldo. Ronaldo thanked him for the opportunity, blew past his man, and found himself putting the ball in the back of the net in signature-style in the 47th minute. United’s offense fell silent for almost the entire rest of the second half, as they absorbed onslaught after onslaught of Everton attempts to equalize the game. United was forced to switch to a back three to hold the lead, but they did just that and kept it 2-1 to escape with the win.

“We were gritty today,” said manager Thomas Walker, “I think that was the most important thing. We were gritty, and we didn’t have our best stuff. But even when we don’t have our best stuff we can find ways to do different things and get results.”

David De Gea was named man of the match after a phenomenal performance in net, as he was the saving grace for United fans. For context, United’s xG as 1.3, whereas Everton found an astounding 3.5 xG lead to only one goal. That was thanks to the brilliance of David De Gea.

“We had to get the win today, in front of our fans,” said De Gea, “They keep us going. They are our inspiration and that’s what gave us the effort we need today.”

Despite De Gea’s heroics, United saw poor performances from Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Amad. Perhaps no one was more noticeable uncomfortable in his role than Donny van de Beek. van de Beek has struggled to earn significant playing time in the Premier League and it may be fair to wonder if he is at the level necessary to star in the Premier League.

Saturday also saw the return of Edinson Cavani, who missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.

The win for Manchester moves them up to 3rd place in the table with 13 points, still trailing Chelsea and West Ham. Everton stays at 11th with 9 points.

United next travel to Leicester after the international break, where they pick back up on October 16th. Everton will play host to 2nd place West Ham that same day.


Everton: 1
Goal Scorers: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (19'); Assists: André Gomes

Manchester United: 2
Goal Scorers: Bruno Fernandes (25'), Cristiano Ronaldo (47'); Assists: Marcus Rashford