Everton vs Manchester United : 3 Key Battles That Will Decide The Result

Everton vs Manchester United: 3 Key Battles

Manchester United travel to Merseyside on Sunday to take on an Everton side brimming with confidence and looking to end the season on a high. A defeat to Everton last year was the straw that broke the camel’s back for David Moyes. Although a similar result won’t prove as disastrous for Louis Van Gaal, a win is what he will be looking for in a bid to close the gap to Arsenal, who face Chelsea later in the day.

Both sides have only lost one of their last six league games and come into this fixture in good form. Although both have injuries to contend with, the Red Devils are the ones with the more grueling list. While Daley Blind might be fit enough to play some part against the Toffees, United will still be without Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones. Although Jonny Evans is back from suspension, Paddy McNair’s impressive performance against Chelsea is likely to keep the Irishman out of the side.

Here are the three key battles that will decide the outcome of the game.

1. Ashley Young vs Seamus Coleman

If you had told any United supporter that Young be playing ahead of Angel Di Maria based on his form, many would have laughed off your suggestions. Yet, United go into the game against the Toffees with the Englishman as one of the main attacking threats, down the left flank. While he has always been a good crosser of the ball, the winger’s tactical discipline and awareness of what is around him has helped him jump to the top of Van Gaal’s team sheets.

The man tasked with the responsibility of keeping Young quiet will be Coleman. Last season, the Irish fullback was one of the best in the league in striking the perfect balance between going forward and joining in the attack and staying back and helping out defensively. It hasn’t been as easy this season and the right back has dipped defensively. And when you aren’t at your best positionally, the last person you would want as a full back is a tricky winger who wants to beat you at every opportunity. While he will have the help of Aaron Lennon, the presence of Luke Shaw will keep him occupied and might leave Coleman alone to deal with Young. A prospect he is unlikely to be looking forward to given the current form of both players.

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.

3. Can Everton contain Fellaini?

From being christened as the “lampshade”, Marouane Fellaini’s transformation into the lightning rod of United’s attacks has been nothing short of sensational. In a matter of months, the Belgian has shown why he can be of use to the Red Devils and reaffirmed the belief that Moyes was right to sign him. Barring Chelsea, no other team has been able to contain him and that is one of the reasons why United are in the form that they are in.

If the Toffees are to have any chance of getting anything from the game, they will need to find a way to stop their former player from doing what he does best. Whether Roberto Martinez is pragmatic enough to devise a special plan or not, the hosts need to reduce his effectiveness and stop him from linking up with Young and Shaw on the left flank. For if they don’t, like Spurs and Liverpool before them, they will soon find out that they can’t get the ball off him and struggle to deal with the United attack.