On Sunday evening, Everton’s 6-game unbeaten run came to an end in a game littered with mistakes.
Alex Iwobi gave Everton the lead with a sublime finish, but summer signing Anthony hit his third in as many games with Ronaldo getting the winner on the stroke of halftime. Marcus Rashford had a goal disallowed late in the second half for handball, Everton put pressure on the United defence late on, but they held on to a deserved win.
Anthony Gordon was brought back into the starting XI with Dwight McNeil dropping to the bench, but I don’t even know if Gordon even stepped foot on the pitch he was that non-existent.
Alex Iwobi got Everton off to a flyer with a cracker from distance after Amadou Onana dispossessed Casemiro in the middle of the pitch. Iwobi’s goal was Everton’s 1,500th goal in Premier League and make sure you watch it below!
That was as good as it got for Everton as the remainder of the game it was like watching Everton of last season. 10 minutes after taking the lead and the game was level. Gana Gueye took his eyes off the ball and lost the ball to Bruno Fernandes, he played the ball wide to Anthony and from the edge of the area curled the ball into the far corner past the onrushing Jordan Pickford.
Anthony Martial who has a good record against Everton went off injured midway through the first half and was replaced by Cristiano Ronaldo who was on 699 career league goals. So we all knew what was going to happen next…
With minutes left of the first half, Alex Iwobi who gave Everton the lead lost the ball to Casemiro, he played the ball forward to Ronaldo, and from just inside the area from an acute angle, he drilled the ball low past Jordan Pickford at his near post to get his 700th career league goal.
Marcus Rashford made it 3-1 late on, but VAR intervened disallowing the goal as the ball, unfortunately, ricocheted off his arm, and with the new rules that meant it was disallowed. Everton brought on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Soloman Rondon and James Garner late on as they searched for the equaliser and it was the former United midfielder Garner that almost found it.
His cross\shot was tipped wide for a corner in which Raphael Varane was introduced and at the perfect time as he then cleared an almost certain goal. Jordan Pickford went forwards for the corner and rose like Tim Cahill, but unfortunately for the Everton number 1, Varane flicked the ball away just before he met what looked like a goal.
Hopefully, Sunday was a bad day at the office, as that was not the Everton I have watched this season so far.
What did you make of the game?
Let us know in the comments or get in touch via our socials on Facebook and Twitter @EFCVital
Do you enjoy podcasts? Well, our own VitalEverton’s Liam and VitalNewcastle’s Ash have started a VitalPremierLeaguePodcast which will go onto Spotify and YouTube every Wednesday, or simply watch below.
Check out episode two now!