12 Jun 2019
It is always a fixture that sets pulses racing and there is plenty riding on the Easter Sunday clash at Goodison Park.
Everton have seventh place in their sights and should Manchester City win the FA Cup final against Watford, seventh place will open up a Europa League spot.
At present, Everton are ninth, just a point behind Leicester and Wolves, but with a better goal difference than both those rivals.
The Toffeemen lost no ground in the race for Europe, despite losing 2-0 at relegated Fulham last week, as Leicester, Wolves, Watford (10th) and West Ham (11th) similarly slumped to defeat. There are just five points separating the five teams heading into the weekend.
Manchester United are chasing a top four spot, which will be their only route to the Champions League after losing 3-0 to Barcelona on Tuesday in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.
United are currently sixth in the table, three points behind third-placed Tottenham, and two points behind Arsenal and Chelsea, who are respectively fourth and fifth.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not been at their best in recent weeks and they were very fortunate to come away with a 2-1 win over West Ham last Saturday, helped by some controversial decisions from referee Graham Scott and his assistants.
They have suffered five defeats in their last seven games, including losses on each of their last four road trips to Arsenal, Wolves (twice) and Barcelona.
The Genting Casino Premier League odds for Manchester United to finish in the top four are 11/4. Their remaining four games after this are against title-chasing Manchester City (H), Chelsea (H), Huddersfield Town (A) and Cardiff City (H).
United, who have won the last three meetings with Everton, are 13/10 to win at Goodison Park.
Everton, who have held Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea scoreless in their last three home games, winning the last two, are available at 21/10 to beat United.
They are on a run of four home games without a win against United (D1 L3), their worst run of results against the Red Devils at Goodison Park since failing to win 10 consecutive meetings between September 1995 and April 2005 (L9 D1).
Indeed, Everton have lost more Premier League games against Manchester United (36) than any side has against another in the history of the competition.
There have been two stalemates in the last 14 meetings and the draw is on offer at 12/5.
TEAM NEWS
Alexis Sanchez could make his return for Manchester United. The Chilean winger has been missing from league action since early March with a knee injury.
The 30-year-old came on and saw limited action at the Camp Nou on Tuesday and may figure from the start. He is 2/1 to score at any time.
Luke Shaw will be missing however, as the defender serves the second of his two-game ban for picking up 10 bookings, but Ashley Young will be available, having served his one-match ban. It is likely that Marcos Rojo will be deployed at left-back in Shaw’s absence.
Eric Bailly has been missed at the heart of United’s defence. He has not played since sustaining a head injury while on international duty last month, but could figure.
Solskjaer may also give some time to Nemanja Matic, who was on the bench against Barcelona, having recovered from a hamstring injury.
However, Ander Herrera remains sidelined with a similar injury, picked up against Watford.
Everton boss Marco Silva may again be without centre-back Yerry Mina, who picked up a hamstring injury while on international duty with Colombia.
The hosts will certainly have to do without midfielder Andre Gomes, after he was suspended for two games, having accepted a retrospective violent conduct charge when clashing with Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic last week.
However, Silva could welcome back ex-United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who has recovered from a twisted ankle.
UNITED TO WIN?
While Everton have won their last two at Goodison Park, it must be remembered that they won one of their previous eight at home and they were shocking in their 2-0 defeat at already relegated Fulham.
While they defeated Arsenal and Chelsea at home, they had only two wins in their previous 19 Premier League home games against ‘big six’ sides (W2 D7 L10) and they are 4/7 to either win or draw against United on the Double Chance market.
The Red Devils will hope to end a poor run of results and they have not lost three consecutive Premier League away games since January 1996. United are 8/13 to win (draw no Bet).
Paul Pogba (pictured above) could be the key for United. He has been an enigma this season, going missing for large parts of games, but was instrumental in putting away two penalties that gave his side a 2-1 win over West Ham last weekend.
The Frenchman is United’s top scorer with 13 Premier League goals (seven of them from penalties) and he is 15/8 to score at any time and 10/1 to net another brace or more.
However, his compatriot Anthony Martial has netted in each of his last three games against Everton and is 9/5 to score at any time.
Goals have not always been easy to come by in recent clashes, with just five of the last 14 meetings seeing both sides score. It is 11/10 that one or other team fails to register a goal.
Likewise, there have been three goals or more scored in total in just six of the last 14 clashes, and it is 17/20 that under 2.5 goals will be scored this time.
United have conceded at least once in each of their last nine games in all competitions. West Ham created plenty of chances last week and only some superb goalkeeping from David de Gea prevented the Hammers from scoring just the once.
Solskjaer will be keen that they hold firm at the back after their 3-0 drubbing by Barcelona and it is 2/1 that United keep a clean sheet at Everton and 14/5 that United win to nil.
For all the odds on this clash, click here.
