It is December 4th, 2013, and Roberto Martinez’s Everton visit Old Trafford looking to end a 21-year wait for a victory at Manchester United.
The Blues had started the 2013/14 season in fine form, with just one Premier League defeat between August and December, as Martinez’s new look side had their sights set on European football. Meanwhile, David Moyes’ debut season in the Old Trafford dugout was not quite going as planned, with United sat in 9th place in the league going into the festive season.
Moyes had become a maligned figure amongst Evertonians, who felt betrayed by a manager who had departed the club for free just a matter of months earlier, compounded by the Scot’s lowball offers for key players Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini.
The latter, of course, did indeed reunite with Moyes, joining Manchester United in a deal worth £27.5 million on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2013, and as the Toffees looked to end the Old Trafford hoodoo, the fixture had all of the ingredients for a hostile and fierce encounter.
Goalless at the break, keepers at either end of the pitch were forced into action throughout the first half, though both Tim Howard and David De Gea were equal to their tasks. The second half continued in similar fashion, but still the tie remained in deadlock.
With four minutes left on the clock, Everton’s Costa Rican left-back, in the starting XI in place of the injured Leighton Baines, found himself with time and space in United’s 18-yard box, and when Romelu Lukaku’s mis-hit effort landed at the feet of the reserve defender, he finished past De Gea with aplomb to send the packed away end into blue euphoria.
It is a game that many Evertonians will remember well. It was a time of optimism at Goodison Park, an ingredient sorely missed in recent rollercoaster years. Indeed, since that victory, Everton have subsequently failed to win at Old Trafford in each of the nine years.
With an FA Cup Third Round tie away at Manchester United scheduled for January 6th, 2023, Everton will need to end a nine-year wait if Frank Lampard’s side are to progress.