2. Can Lukaku shine against United’s injury-hit defense?
Before a substitute appearance against Burnley, Lukaku had scored 11 times in his previous 16 games and was finally having the sort of impact that many hoped he would have following his big money move from Chelsea. For much of the season, the Belgian has divided opinion on whether Mourinho was right to sell him. While he has been playing well, he has scored just 18 times and hasn’t done well enough to call his sale a mistake. On Sunday, he will have the perfect opportunity to make a statement.
At the heart of Manchester United’s defense are two players who aren’t used to playing against big, physical center forwards. While Chris Smalling has struggled mostly against more powerful players, he has done well of late and will be looking to continue that run against a sure to be fired up Belgian striker. His partner, McNair on the other hand, will be looking to build on his impressive performance against the Blues last weekend, where he showed tremendous ability in bringing the ball out of defense. While he may not have the space to do that at Goodison Park on Sunday, he will certainly have an opportunity to show his manager that he deserves to keep his place for the end of the season, even if the others return from injury.