Manchester United returned to winning ways as they beat Everton 2-0 thanks to two first-half penalties, both won by Alejandro Garnacho and converted by Bruno Fernandes and then Marcus Rashford.

As for much of this season, a relegation-battling Everton threatened for most of the match but failed in front of goal, losing for the second match running despite having over 20 shots. They are now 11 matches without victory. 

How the match unfolded

Both teams were unchanged as Rashford continued his role up top in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund and Beto started for the second successive match for Everton.

United attempted to assume the majority of possession but struggled to play out from the back, often being caught out by Everton’s press. 

Despite Everton’s bright start, United scored against the run of play. On nine minutes, James Tarkowski clipped Garnacho as the 19-year-old tried to dribble past him in the box.

Fernandes converted from the spot, slotting the ball into Jordan Pickford’s bottom-left corner for his fifth goal in nine appearances against Everton. 

It was also his 29th penalty goal for United, the most in the club’s history, overtaking Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Everton continued to threaten but failed to give Andre Onana a serious test in the United goal. 

At the other end, Fernandes forced Pickford into a brilliant full-stretch save from a free-kick before United got their second. 
Garnacho earned United’s second penalty by driving into the area, drawing a foul from Ben Godfrey.

This time Rashford stepped up and scored his seventh goal of the season in the 36th minute, sending the ball towards the opposite side of the first penalty and wrongfooting Pickford.

It made United only the third side in Premier League history to have two different players score a first-half penalty, after Fulham v Bolton Wanderers in August 2002 (scored by Louis Saha and Steve Marlet) and Manchester City v Leicester City in December 2021 (Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling).

The second half started in a similar fashion to the first as Everton failed to take advantage of their superior possession.
Garnacho continued to be a nuisance down the right but could not convert any of the chances provided by Fernandes, the best from a tight angle that he blasted over.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to score his first goal in five months after the Everton forward missed fellow substitute Lewis Dobbin’s pass across goal.

The win takes United three points behind Tottenham Hotspur’s tally of 50 in sixth. Everton remain 16th, five points above the relegation zone.

Club reports

Man Utd report | Everton report

Match officials

Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Gavin Ward. VAR: David Coote. Assistant VAR: Tim Wood.