Preview

Everton vs Manchester United: The Preview

Manchester United travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium looking to prove that the five-goal win over Ipswich was the start of a proper response under Michael Carrick.

Manchester United’s first away game of the season ended in a miserable 2-0 defeat at Hull City. The second gives Michael Carrick’s side an immediate chance to show they have learned from it.

The 5-2 win over Ipswich Town was the response Old Trafford wanted. Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick, Kobbie Mainoo transformed the midfield and United attacked with far more pace and width. There were still defensive problems, particularly during the opening half-hour, and Everton are well equipped to test them.

David Moyes’s side have taken four points from their opening two league games and remain unbeaten in all competitions. United won 1-0 on their first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium in February, but another tight and awkward afternoon should be expected.

Kick-off is at 2pm on Sunday, with the game live in the UK on Sky Sports.

Manchester United Team News

Carlos Baleba will have to wait for his United debut. Carrick said before the Ipswich game that the new midfielder would need another two or three weeks to recover from the ankle problem he arrived with.

Amad and Manuel Ugarte also remain unavailable. Matthijs de Ligt is still working his way back after surgery, while Tom Heaton is another doubt.

Mason Mount has returned to training and is close to being available after missing the Ipswich game. Luke Shaw has been listed as a doubt with a hamstring problem and may need a late fitness test. Patrick Dorgu is the obvious replacement if Shaw cannot start.

Carrick’s biggest decisions are likely to be tactical. Mainoo was excellent alongside Youri Tielemans against Ipswich and should keep his place. Marcus Rashford also gave United the natural width they lacked at Hull, while Matheus Cunha created the equaliser and won the penalty from the central-forward position.

Benjamin Šeško is getting closer to full fitness and scored the winner on this ground in February. Starting him would give United a stronger presence against James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite. The balance of the attack was much better last weekend, so Carrick may prefer to keep Cunha through the middle and use Šeško from the bench again.

Everton Team News

Christian Nørgaard is Everton’s main injury concern and is unlikely to feature. Hayden Hackney has also been managing an ankle problem, although he may be available after returning to the squad at Bournemouth.

Moyes has two deadline-day arrivals to consider. Jack Grealish has returned on loan from Manchester City and is available to make his second Everton debut. Ainsley Maitland-Niles can play at right-back or in midfield and should also be included in the squad.

Their arrival followed a chaotic end to Everton’s transfer window. Iliman Ndiaye joined Manchester City and Beto moved to Fiorentina, while a proposed deal for Folarin Balogun collapsed. Thierno Barry is now the only recognised senior centre-forward in the squad.

Barry has started the season well. He scored against Crystal Palace and then hit a hat-trick in the League Cup win over Preston North End. Brennan Johnson and Tyrique George provide pace from wide areas, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall likely to operate behind the striker.

Grealish could replace Ndiaye on the left immediately. Jake O’Brien may retain his place at right-back ahead of Maitland-Niles, with Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko completing a settled defence in front of Jordan Pickford.

The Context

Two games have already shown both versions of Carrick’s United.

At Hull, they had plenty of the ball and did very little with it. The passing was slow, the attack became narrow and 34 open-play crosses played directly into the hosts’ hands. United were also punished from two set pieces.

The Ipswich performance had much more purpose. Rashford stretched the pitch, Mainoo carried the ball through midfield and Fernandes received it in areas where he could decide the game. United recorded 33 shots and scored five times, although Ipswich also created enough chances to expose the remaining problems.

Everton will ask different questions. Moyes has built a side that is comfortable defending without long spells of possession. They beat Crystal Palace 2-0 despite allowing several good chances, then rescued a point at Bournemouth through Tarkowski’s stoppage-time goal from a corner.

The mood around Everton has been damaged by their transfer window, but the results have been good. Four points from two league games, seven goals in three matches across all competitions and only one conceded gives Moyes a strong platform.

United also know exactly how difficult this fixture can be. Everton won 1-0 at Old Trafford with ten men last November before United returned the favour at the Hill Dickinson in February, when Šeško came off the bench to score the only goal.

A win on Sunday would give United six points from three games and carry some momentum into the Manchester derby. A repeat of the Hull performance would leave more questions about whether Carrick’s side can impose themselves away from home.

Recent Form

Everton opened their league campaign with a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace. Dewsbury-Hall scored before the break and Barry added the second early in the second half.

Barry then scored three in a 4-0 League Cup victory at Preston, with Brennan Johnson completing the scoring. Moyes named a strong team and Everton took control after half-time.

Their winning run ended at Bournemouth last Saturday, but they remained unbeaten. Alex Scott put the hosts ahead before Tarkowski equalised from a corner in stoppage time to earn a 1-1 draw.

United’s results have been more dramatic. A 2-0 defeat at Hull was followed by the 5-2 win over Ipswich, with Fernandes scoring three, Bryan Mbeumo adding the fifth and a Jacob Greaves own goal putting United ahead.

Carrick’s team have created plenty in both league games. The main difference was the speed and balance of the attack at Old Trafford. Producing the same movement against a deeper and more physical Everton defence will be harder.

Tactical Focus

Avoid another afternoon of harmless possession

Everton are unlikely to mind United having the ball. Moyes will keep the middle compact, ask his wide players to recover and trust Tarkowski and Branthwaite to deal with crosses.

United fell into precisely that trap at Hull. They moved the ball from side to side without disrupting the defensive shape, then sent one cross after another towards defenders who were comfortable attacking it.

Rashford and Mbeumo need to hold the width and attack their full-backs directly. Their positioning should create room inside for Fernandes, Cunha and Mainoo. Quick combinations around the box will cause Everton more problems than a long sequence of safe passes followed by another hopeful delivery.

Mainoo must help United play through midfield

Mainoo’s return changed the way United attacked against Ipswich. He received the ball under pressure, carried it forward and found Cunha between the lines for the move that produced the penalty.

Everton’s likely midfield of James Garner and Harrison Armstrong will work hard to crowd Fernandes out. Mainoo and Tielemans have to move the ball through that first line before Everton can settle into their shape.

United should find opportunities if they can draw Garner or Armstrong towards the ball. Dewsbury-Hall will also be asked to drop in, leaving spaces for Mainoo to carry possession or for Cunha to move away from the centre-backs.

Grealish and Barry will test United’s defensive balance

Grealish may not offer the direct running Ndiaye provided, but he can help Everton keep the ball and move up the pitch. He will look to combine with Mykolenko and Dewsbury-Hall, draw fouls and make United defend for longer periods.

Dalot and Mbeumo need to manage that side carefully. United’s full-backs pushed forward against Ipswich and left too much space behind them during the first half. Grealish has the patience to exploit the same problem.

Barry gives Maguire and Martínez a different challenge. He is quick, willing to run the channels and arrives in form. Everton are short of alternatives up front, but their only senior striker has scored four goals in three appearances this season.

Set pieces could decide the game

Everton’s equaliser at Bournemouth came from a corner, with Tarkowski reacting inside a crowded penalty area. United conceded both goals at Hull from dead-ball situations and still looked vulnerable when Ipswich attacked the box.

Tarkowski, Branthwaite and O’Brien give Everton several strong aerial targets. Garner and Dewsbury-Hall can deliver the ball accurately. United’s marking and second-ball reactions have to be much sharper than they were on the opening weekend.

The first goal will matter. Everton are built to protect a lead and make the game increasingly uncomfortable. United have fallen behind in both league matches so far and cannot keep relying on Fernandes to drag them back into games.

Predicted XI

Lammens;

Dalot, Maguire, Martínez, Shaw;

Mainoo, Tielemans;

Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford;

Cunha.

If Shaw fails his fitness test, Dorgu should start at left-back. Mount could return to the squad, while Šeško is likely to remain the main attacking option from the bench.

Predicted Score

Everton are organised, dangerous from set pieces and carrying more confidence than the frustration around their transfer window might suggest. Grealish gives them another way to keep the ball, while Barry will test a United defence that has already conceded four times.

United should still have more quality in the attacking positions. Mainoo and Rashford improved the balance against Ipswich, and Fernandes is in the kind of form that can settle a tight game.

Everton 1-2 Manchester United.

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Top comments

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1. 
   @jc3342 September 6, 2026

   6 goals conceded in 3 games. We are absolutely tragic at the back

   33 likes

2. 
   @ufotalk4046 September 6, 2026

   Maitland niles walks into your midfield

   5 likes

3. 
   @ewokYT117 September 6, 2026

   1:18:15 Authentic comedy. Great belly laugh

   4 likes

4. 
   @LagorBad81 September 6, 2026

   great game management every game.
   
   we're attacking and giving the ball back with 3 minutes to go. after not attacking for THE WHOLE GAME. every time this team has the iq of a pineapple in the lead

   12 likes

5. 
   @henryseilbea8440 September 6, 2026

   We should have won this ..but our defense especially on the left bck and right bck are crap ..thats where the goals came from

   10 likes

6. 
   @mihailita5884 September 6, 2026

   47:59 talking about the matrix 😱

   1 like

7. 
   @GoldieCollinsKatJinx1Jobbers September 6, 2026

   😂😂😂😂 maitland-niles!! 😂😂😂 Hold that

   6 likes

8. 
   @rockybarrano33 September 6, 2026

   Love to see it…😂😂😂

   4 likes

9. 
   @swahilipapii5572 September 6, 2026

   Rashford’s quality today was BEGGING for Sesko same as Shaw at times w/his crossing. Sesko should’ve come on a long time ago but unless the shin recovery is that serious, he should be starting.

   1 like

10. 
    @RossF1892 September 6, 2026

    Hahahahahhahahaha 😂😂😂😂😂😂 hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣 they're almost in tears 😅😅 get used to it.

    1 like

Reaction

United produced some of their best attacking football of the young season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but twice surrendered the lead as Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ 96th-minute equaliser rescued a point for Everton.

Manchester United left Everton with a point that should have been three. Bryan Mbeumo put us ahead just 61 seconds after the restart and Benjamin Šeško seemed to have won it with an 88th-minute header, yet two brilliant Everton strikes turned a promising away performance into another frustrating result.

Tyrique George levelled with seven minutes of normal time remaining before Ainsley Maitland-Niles, making his Everton debut from the bench, found the top corner in the 96th minute. Both finishes were outstanding. United still have to ask why Everton were allowed the time, space and belief to produce them.

A Better United Performance Without the Result

The ending will dominate the conversation, but this was a better United performance than the final score suggests. Michael Carrick kept the same starting XI that beat Ipswich, with Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans in midfield, Bruno Fernandes ahead of them and Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford and Matheus Cunha forming the attack.

United looked sharper in possession and created the cleaner openings during the first half. Fernandes struck the bar after eight minutes when Mbeumo intelligently headed the ball into his path. Rashford then beat Merlin Röhl on the left and pulled the ball into a dangerous area, only for Cunha to fire over after Diogo Dalot had missed the first attempt.

Everton remained a threat, particularly when United allowed the game to become stretched. Thierno Barry should have done better with a free header from Röhl’s cross shortly before half-time, while Jarrad Branthwaite made an excellent recovery challenge to stop Fernandes releasing Cunha into the box at the other end.

The goalless scoreline at the interval felt slightly harsh on United. We had found space on both sides, moved the ball with greater purpose and put Everton’s back line under pressure. The missing piece was the finish.

Mbeumo supplied it immediately after the break. Collecting the ball on the right, he drove inside and guided a left-footed shot into the far corner. The run was direct, the finish was calm and Everton had no answer. It was exactly the kind of decisive individual action United bought him to provide.

Rashford and Shaw Combine Well Down the Left

Mbeumo scored the opener, but much of United’s best football came through Rashford and Luke Shaw on the opposite side. Rashford played with confidence, repeatedly taking on his defender and combining well with Shaw as the left-back pushed forward.

The supporters voted Rashford as United’s Player of the Match and it was easy to understand why. He looked willing to receive the ball under pressure, carried us up the pitch and created the chance that Cunha should have converted in the first half. There was an urgency to his game that Everton struggled to contain.

Rashford’s withdrawal after 70 minutes affected United’s balance. Carrick later explained that the winger had felt a slight physical issue, so the change was sensible. Patrick Dorgu replaced him while Šeško came on for Cunha, leaving United with a more orthodox focal point but less natural threat from the left wing.

Shaw continued to advance and eventually produced one of the moments of the match. Five minutes after Everton had equalised, he delivered a superb hanging cross from the left and Šeško attacked it with conviction, powering a header past Jordan Pickford from close range.

The left side gave Carrick plenty to work with, especially while Rashford was on the pitch. United looked more balanced than they have at times and the combinations between Rashford, Shaw and Fernandes helped us progress without relying on hopeful passes through the middle.

Mbeumo Delivers and Šeško Takes His Chance

United’s two goals came from forwards doing what elite forwards are supposed to do. Mbeumo created his own opening and finished it beautifully. Šeško had limited time to influence the game but was ready when his chance arrived.

The Slovenian’s first goal of the season should be an important one for his confidence. His movement gave Shaw a clear target and his header carried the power needed to beat Pickford, even though the Everton goalkeeper got a hand to it. With only two minutes of normal time remaining, it looked like the perfect contribution from the bench.

Carrick can be encouraged by the attacking options available to him. Mbeumo has started the season looking capable of deciding matches, Rashford appears refreshed and Šeško offers a genuine penalty-box presence. Cunha also found good positions, even if his finishing deserted him on the day.

United scored five against Ipswich and twice away at Everton. Seven goals across those two games is a healthy return, and the variety is particularly encouraging. We can create through combinations, transitions, crosses and individual quality. The issue is that the attack is being asked to keep winning matches more than once.

Brilliant Equalisers, Poor Defending

It would be convenient to write off Everton’s goals as two unstoppable strikes. George and Maitland-Niles both produced finishes worthy of any match, yet the quality of the shots cannot excuse the situations United allowed to develop.

George’s 83rd-minute equaliser came as Everton’s pressure was growing following the introduction of Jack Grealish. He drove the ball past Senne Lammens at the near post with real power, punishing United for failing to close the space around the box. Lammens will be disappointed to be beaten on that side, although the lack of pressure on the shot was the first problem.

Carrick responded in the 84th minute by replacing Mainoo and Dalot with Andrey Santos and Leny Yoro. After Šeško restored the lead, Noussair Mazraoui then replaced Shaw in stoppage time. The intention was understandable: add energy, protect tired legs and see out the closing minutes. Instead, the changes left a reshaped side trying to manage Everton’s final push without enough control or communication.

The final goal was a collective failure before Maitland-Niles supplied the spectacular finish. Dorgu pressed forward without support, the back line dropped too deep and Everton were able to work the ball into a central shooting position. Maitland-Niles met it first time and found the top corner from distance, with Lammens given no realistic chance.

United had to defend one final phase and could not do it. We neither stopped Everton at source nor protected the edge of the area. Players were caught between stepping out and holding their line, which created the exact pocket an opponent needs for a late shot.

Carrick admitted afterwards that United needed to manage the game better. He was right. Game management does not have to mean retreating into the penalty area and inviting pressure. Keeping the ball, winning a foul, slowing the next attack and making sure every player understands his role are all part of closing out an away win.

The Verdict

United should leave Merseyside angry with themselves. The performance contained enough quality to win, and the two goals showed exactly why there is excitement around this attack. Mbeumo was excellent, Rashford carried a constant threat and Šeško delivered when called upon.

The result exposed a weakness that has followed United for too long. We still struggle to control the emotional and tactical shift that comes after taking the lead. Instead of making the game smaller and calmer, we allow opponents to build momentum and turn the closing minutes into a scrap.

Everton deserve credit for continuing to push and for two outstanding finishes. From a United perspective, the draw feels self-inflicted. Leading once away from home should give you control. Leading again in the 88th minute has to give you the win.

Carrick now has a clear message to take into the Champions League meeting with Sabah and the Manchester derby that follows. The attacking improvement is real, but it will count for little unless United learn how to protect it.

Ratings

Player Ratings

Senne Lammens: 5
Had little chance with Maitland-Niles’ equaliser, although he will be disappointed to have been beaten at his near post by George.

Diogo Dalot: 6
Supported Mbeumo well and regularly pushed into attacking positions. United lost some defensive stability after he went off.

Harry Maguire: 6
Handled most of Everton’s direct play reasonably well, but could not organise the reshaped defence during the chaotic finish.

Lisandro Martínez: 6
Generally composed in possession and aggressive when stepping forward. Like the rest of the back line, he dropped too deep during Everton’s late pressure.

Luke Shaw: 7
Combined effectively with Rashford and supplied an excellent cross for Šeško’s goal. One of United’s strongest attacking outlets.

Youri Tielemans: 6
Helped United control possession and moved the ball intelligently, although his influence faded as Everton took over late on.

Kobbie Mainoo: 7
Played through Everton’s midfield with composure and helped United build attacks cleanly. His withdrawal contributed to the loss of control.

Bryan Mbeumo: 8
Created Fernandes’ early chance and scored a superb individual goal immediately after half-time. United’s most decisive attacker.

Bruno Fernandes: 7
Hit the bar and found threatening positions throughout the first half. Heavily involved without quite taking complete control of the game.

Marcus Rashford: 8 (MOTM)
United’s biggest threat before being forced off. Beat defenders, progressed the ball and created a clear chance for Cunha during an encouraging display.

Matheus Cunha: 6
His movement caused Everton problems and he found several promising positions. The finishing was missing when his chances arrived.

Substitutes

Benjamin Šeško: 7
Made the impact Carrick wanted, attacking Shaw’s cross and powering his header beyond Pickford. His first goal of the season should have been the winner.

Patrick Dorgu: 5
Added energy after replacing Rashford but could not reproduce his attacking threat. His isolated press contributed to the space Everton exploited for the final goal.

Andrey Santos: 5
Introduced to bring fresh legs and control to midfield, but United became more disjointed after Mainoo departed.

Leny Yoro: 5
Entered during a difficult period and struggled to settle into the reshaped defence. Dropped too deep in the build-up to Maitland-Niles’ equaliser.

Noussair Mazraoui: 5
Only played a few stoppage-time minutes, but was part of a back line that failed to organise itself for Everton’s final attack.