United Beyond Manchester

Three points were required for Manchester United, and three points were picked up. However, that was about the only positive for a United side coming out of a disappointing loss in the Manchester Derby. It was certainly not pretty, but a win is a win. Below, we look at how the events unfolded.

First Half Analysis

Manchester United’s first five minutes were nothing short of embarrassing. Giveaway after giveaway provided Everton chances to step forward, and the away side had two early corners.

Despite the sluggish start, one of United’s first real attacks led to a penalty and a goal. In the 10th minute, Alejandro Garnacho received the ball from Marcus Rashford and stepped into the box. With a quick move, the forward forced James Tarkowski to bite and bring him down. After a quick VAR check, Bruno Fernandes stepped up and slotted the penalty past Jordan Pickford into the bottom corner.

Garnacho drew a foul outside the box in the 26th minute, and Bruno Fernandes stepped up and hit a brilliant free kick. Unfortunately for the United captain, Jordan Pickford produced a stunning save to prevent the Reds from going up 2-0.

Alejandro Garnacho continued terrorizing the Everton backline and won a second penalty in the 35th minute. The Argentine cut inside and attacked the Everton box with pace to force Ben Godfrey into a poor challenge. Instead of a second penalty for Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford stepped up and buried the ball after a stuttering run-up.

It was fitting that in a half that lacked quality, the two goals came from penalties. Manchester United took a 2-0 lead into the break despite the mediocre play.

Second Half Analysis

The first big chance of the second half fell to Garnacho. The 19-year-old got in behind the Everton defense but blazed the ball over the bar.

United could have gone up 3-0 in the 62nd minute, but Pickford saved a shot from Fernandes and pushed the ball out for a corner. The ensuing corner kick produced a brief moment of frenzy as the ball bounced around inside the box, but eventually, Pickford claimed it and won a free kick.

Everton made a mess of an opportunity to get one back with fifteen minutes to go. Ben Godfrey headed a cross back across Andre Onana’s goal, but Lewis Dobbin’s strike flashed across goal and failed to hit the target.

Yes, that’s it. Those are the highlights for the second half. Manchester United picked up three points and a clean sheet. The performance was poor, but the three points were critical and at the end of the day, that is what matters.

Stat Highlight

The match stats will show Sir Jim Ratcliffe just how much work he needs to do on the squad. One stat that stood out was that Manchester United were outshot 23-15 at Old Trafford by Everton. While it can be argued that many of the away side’s shots were hopeful, that is still twenty-three times that Everton players were afforded the space to have a shot on Onana’s goal. This is a worrying stat and does not bode well for a United team that faces Liverpool next weekend.

Player of the Match

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes each scored a penalty, but it was the man who earned both that gets my Player of the Match. Alejandro Garnacho was perhaps the only standout in a match that United’s performance failed to live up to the club’s standard. The Argentine’s quick feet and willingness to attack produced two penalties. The only thing his performance lacked was a penalty.

Player Ratings

Andre Onana: 7 – Solid when called upon and picked up a clean sheet.
Diogo Dalot: 5 – Did not provide any attacking value.
Victor Lindelof: 5 – Another okay performance playing out of position.
Raphael Varane: 5 – Could barely complete a pass but contributed to a clean sheet.
Jonny Evans: 5 – His lack of pace showed at times, and he consistently gave the ball away, but he performed his defensive duties when called upon.
Casemiro: 5 – Defended well but gave the ball away far too often.
Scott McTominay: 5 – No real impact on the match playing in a different position.
Bruno Fernandes: 6 – Finished his penalty.
Kobbie Mainoo: 5 – Not the youngster’s best day but had his moments.
Alejandro Garnacho: 8 – No goals or assists but won two penalties and was lively. MOTM.
Marcus Rashford: 6 – Did not produce much but calmly finished his penalty.

Sofyan Amrabat: 5 – Never really got going after coming on.
Antony: Came on too late to rate.
Willy Kambwala: Came on too late to rate.

Looking Ahead

Manchester United will host Liverpool in the FA Cup next Sunday and will look to progress in the only remaining competition where a trophy can be won. The FA Cup is now very important for Erik Ten Hag who needs to show the new executives that he has what it takes to continue as the manager of this United team.