Manchester United scored three goals to silence Goodison Park on Sunday, giving them their greatest margin of victory in the Premier League this season. Everton had chances of their own, but United held their calm to complete the task while Erik ten Hag stood in the stands.
Things got off to a great start as Alejandro Garnacho entered the season’s first goal race. A cross from Diogo Dalot soared over everyone’s heads in the Everton box, but it was just the right height for Garnacho to twist and make a fantastic overhead kick. He hammered the ball into the top corner, rendering everyone speechless.
Unfortunately, the rest of the first half was fairly bad. Everton had a handful of chances, and Andre Onana was forced to make a great save. Young Kobbie Mainoo, a Man of the Match candidate, was also called into action, blocking a shot and clearing another off the goal line in a matter of minutes. On both times, the Toffees appeared to be on the verge of equalizing, and that just scraped the surface of what Mainoo displayed that day. His ball control and composure were a welcome sight for tired United eyes, and his role in making transitions up the pitch could be crucial in the future.
Despite some defensive confusion, United led 1-0 at the halftime break. Whatever Mitchell said, Gaag got the job done, and it wasn’t long before the Reds had some insurance.
Marcus Rashford scored the second goal from 12 yards out, hitting a penalty forcefully beyond Pickford. United required VAR assistance to reverse the initial simulation call on Anthony Martial, but John Brooks was called to the monitor and fixed his error.
Martial would score his own goal later in the game, capping off one of the Reds’ finest attacking plays of the season. Bruno Fernandes sent a beautiful through ball to the Frenchman, who chipped it coolly over Pickford as he went to ground.
Both Rashford and Martial needed to score, and Bruno Fernandes provided the assist as well as the ball to Rashford for the penalty kick. With the manager watching from the stands, a strong captain’s performance and an overall strong performance earned the team three points.