Manchester United’s victory over Everton on Sunday was derived from the youth and zest of Marcus Rashford, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Anthony Martial, who combined for the last of these three to score a sweet winner that ensures United maintain pressure on Manchester City in the race for the final Champions League berth.
After West Ham United drew on Saturday Louis van Gaal’s side took full advantage to overtake them into fifth place with seven matches remaining.
As the manager said: “I have said in the dressing room after the match that it was very important to win, otherwise the victory against City [in the derby] was worthless. We keep in touch, one point behind. We keep in touch with Arsenal, five points behind. We have to play Tottenham [on Sunday], not an easy match but normally we are playing very well against the top teams. If we continue like that I am very happy.”
Van Gaal was relieved as he detected fatigue following the international break, having to remove Marcos Rojo for Fosu-Mensah at half-time due to “jet lag”, and Blind towards the end to give him a breather.
“It was more or less a stolen victory. We didn’t play so well, it looked like we were not fresh,” he said. “Daley Blind has played [virtually] every match and he is at the end of his strengths. I shall give him two days off.”
United were fair value for the win, though they hardly convinced that they will romp home to the maximum 21 points and closing total of 75 that would surely secure the top-four finish they crave.
The afternoon began with the South Stand being renamed after Sir Bobby Charlton and the injured Wayne Rooney bashfully waving a red flag along with the rest of the support to greet this tribute to one of the club’s legends.
The on-field action commenced after the same XI that won the Mancunian derby strode out for United. It meant that day’s hero, Rashford, continuing as the No9, with Juan Mata and Martial either side of Jesse Lingard in the attacking trident behind.
Everton had begun by swarming over United. In this period Gerard Deulofeu was their most potent option. Twice the Spaniard dismantled the home defence by skating beyond Rojo but each time there was no reward.
Roberto Martínez dropped Muhamed Besic and Ramiro Funes Mori from the side that was beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at Goodison Park a fortnight ago, instead selecting John Stones and Deulofeu. Given the array of talent – led by Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, Stones, Seamus Coleman and Phil Jagielka – available to Martínez, it seemed a poor return for his team to arrive on 38 points from 29 outings.
Yet as the opening half wore on and United pinned Everton back the clue to this low yield was in the lack of control offered by a midfield manned by Barkley, James McCarthy and Tom Cleverley.
Instead Morgan Schneiderlin and Michael Carrick provided the platform on which Martial, Lingard, Mata and Rashford buzzed in and around the visitors’ area and when the referee, Andre Marriner, blew for the break Everton were fortunate still to be level.
A stark fact, though, was that this was the 10th league game of 15 here that arrived at the interval goalless. As United began the second half hoping to break the deadlock and in search of their 1,000th Premier League goal in this stadium, Fosu-Mensah replaced Rojo and he popped up early on to deliver a cross.
When United finally made the breakthrough the Dutchman was pivotal. Fosu-Mensah had swapped with Matteo Darmian, who moved into Rojo’s former role as the 18-year-old operated at right-back. It was from here that Fosu-Mensah again roved forward as Mata trapped the ball neatly and passed inside to Rashford. The striker’s back-heel into Fosu-Mensah was as clever as the cross that found Martial at the far post and he tapped home for a 13th goal of the season.
Jagielka came close to puncturing Old Trafford’s joy instantly and relief. The visiting captain rose highest from a corner to beat David de Gea but the bar saved United.
As the end neared Fosu-Mensah did the same when Everton pressed hard, superbly turning away a dangerous Coleman cross and United hung on.
At the final whistle the visitors were booed off by their fans, a response Martínez suggested was understood by the team. “You can hear our boos in the dressing room,” he said. “The frustration is we all see the quality we have.”
Next Sunday Van Gal’s men hope to deflate Spurs’ title challenge and keep up their own bid to qualify for the European Cup. It promises to be another close affair.
Man of the match Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
