Everton 0-3 Manchester United: 5 Talking Points

Louis van Gaal and his boys bounced back in style as Manchester United trounced Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park in an exciting encounter on Saturday. Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera and captain Wayne Rooney registered themselves on the scoresheet in the win that saw the Red Devils come away with three points.The win helps United maintain the pressure on the fellow title contenders, especially on neighbours City, ahead of the crucial Manchester Derby at Old Trafford next week. Here are the five talking points from the game.

#1 United end Goodison Park jinx

Goodison Park is a difficult venue to travel to and who would know this better than a Manchester United side who has struggled to win here in the last three seasons. In the last three meetings between these clubs in the blue half of Merseyside, United have failed to register a single point or even get on the scoresheet.

In the last two meetings, the Reds were simply blown away by the hosts. But United finally ended the Curse of Goodison in emphatic style. The win was more crucial for United in terms of the league, especially after the disaster at the Emirates before the international break.

The visitors showed more hunger and intent to reclaim their season and also a get rid of the shaken morale. The fans and the manager asked for a reaction from the players and they responded in some style.

Will this win turn the season around for the Red Devils? Only time will tell, but so far it is surely one of the highlights for the English giants who are trying to reclaim their lost glory.

#2 Dave saves

David De Gea proves his worth practically every game with his class and performances. In midweek, he was imperious for Spain in their bid to qualify for Euro 2016 and today he asserted once again why he is one of the most sought-after goalkeepers in the world.

Everton were harmless for the majority of the game barring a couple of 15-minute spells in either halves where they threw everything at Reds. And in those spells, one man stood tall and held his own – the high-flying Spaniard, De Gea.

After a rocky start to the game, the former Atletico man grew in stature as the game progressed. If not for his crucial saves, the win wouldn’t seem as comprehensive as it seems. The Toffees had quite a few clear cut chances and if not for De Gea led United defence, it would have been a different story at the end of 90 minutes.

After an enduring summer saga, it seems De Gea is back on track to have a yet another fruitful season with Manchester United.

#3 United were calm, composed and clinical

A lot has been said about Manchester United’s midfield in recent past. Despite having one of the strongest midfields in the league, there were still doubts, especially after the disastrous trip to the Emirates.

At Everton, Van Gaal opted for a more compact midfield trio of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera. And the move paid rich dividends as United blew Everton away with ease. Herrera’s instincts and creativity gave a new dimension to United’s attack while Schneiderlin’s tenacity was the perfect fodder to the front three of Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney to build on.

Amidst all this hard work was the calm and experience of Schweinsteiger who pulled the strings like a conductor. The German was the soothing balm in the heat of the match. Everton’s midfield of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy had no answer to this United blitzkrieg in midfield.

There has been a lot chopping and changing in the midfield for United mostly due to the riches of players in the position, but this display should clear all the doubts in Van Gaal’s head on his preferred midfield combination.

Great win & great performance from the team ! Buzzing after my 1st goal for @ManUtd #1stcompetitivegoal

#4 Callous Toffees pay the price

Manchester United have been notoriously slow starters in the games this season. Today was a different ball game altogether as Everton were slow pokes whereas United were quick off the blocks. The slow start made Everton pay as they trailed by two goals inside 30 minutes.

When Everton got into their stride, they had a few decent chances but they spilled each and every one of them. Lukaku could have put the hosts ahead in the opening minutes of the match, but he was slow to react to the opportunity.

The hosts were nervy in possession as they gave the ball away too cheaply throughout the game. They played a high tempo and pressing game in the second half, but their sloppiness in possession wasted their efforts. Whenever they carved out a decent opportunity they met a dead end either in the form of United’s central defence or David De Gea.

The Toffees were not at their imperious best, but they certainly were passive throughout the 90 minutes. And this cost them the game and the crucial three points.

#5 Phil Jones and Chris Smalling - the lucky duo

Phil Jones got his first start of the season in Premier League for Manchester United at the difficult Goodison Park. The brittle Englishman was rock solid in the heart of defence barring a few rocky moments in the opening stages of the game. Jones highlighted his importance to the squad and also justified his place in the starting lineup ahead of the in-form and versatile Daley Blind.

Chris Smalling is having his best season to date for United and today was one of his routine performances where he was simply unplayable. He handled the threat of Romelu Lukaku with ease and also marginalised the Belgian’s influence on the game.

In the first half, both of them played as two centre-halves taking on a big centre forward. But in the second half, post the introduction of Arouna Kone, the Englishmen played as a pair and took on the successful duo of Lukaku and Kone. Jones, in particular, showed great character on his return to first team football.

The duo of Smalling and Jones is somewhat a lucky charm for the Reds as the club hasn’t lost a single game when both of them have started together. Now that’s some understanding and solidity.