At Old Trafford, Manchester United defeated Everton thanks to first-half penalties from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, snapping a two-match losing streak.
The visitors were punished for their carelessness and stupid defence in an odd match that saw Everton become the fifth team in six Premier League games to have at least 20 shots against Erik ten Hag’s team.
Alejandro Garnacho was caught off guard by reckless challenges from both Ben Godfrey, a fellow defender, and captain James Tarkowski.
We're now on WhatsApp. Click here to join.
With the first penalty kick, Fernandes beat England keeper Jordan Pickford with a superb low effort that found the left corner.
On the second occasion, though, Rashford took over for the United captain. Though it appeared like a pointless gamble, Rashford maintained his composure to send Pickford the wrong way and score his eighth goal of the year.
The outcome moved United to within three points of fifth-place Tottenham, despite the fact that Ange Postecoglou’s team still has two games remaining after losses to Fulham and Manchester City.
Furthermore, it no longer seems as certain that sixth will qualify for the Champions League the next season as it did before Thursday’s European results.
With just five points from their previous eleven games, Everton’s terrible record has continued. With Liverpool’s FA Cup commitments forcing them to postpone their Merseyside derby the following week, Sean Dyche’s team may find themselves in the relegation zone come international break.
