Manchester United put last Sunday’s derby demolition behind them with a 1–0 win away to Everton in Saurday’s earliest Premier League fixture. Javier (Chicharito) Hernandez grabbed the only goal of the game on 19 minutes. It was not the most convincing performance by the champions, but after last week’s disaster, they will be more than happy with the three points.
Everton had to make do without the services of Sylvain Distin, probably their best defender this season and Tim Cahill, while United welcomed back captain Nemanja Vidic for his first Premier League outing since the opening day of the season.
Jonny Evans was recalled after serving his one match suspension in midweek, consigning Rio Ferdinand to the bench. Both had poor games against Manchester City and it would not have been surprising if the pair of them had been dropped.
Tom Cleverley made his first Premier League start since recovering from injury. He was joined in midfield by Park Ji-Sung and Darren Fletcher, who had deservedly retained his place, with the trio being supported by Wayne Rooney playing in a deeper role than usual.
The match got off to a lively start with the first chance falling to Everton with a mere 15 seconds on the watch, but Seamus Coleman’s effort was easy for David De Gea. Barely a minute later, the ball was up the other end with Danny Welbeck getting to the byline and pulling back a short cross for Park whose deft flick was well kept out by American goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Everton has been playing well recently and, no doubt encouraged by United’s drubbing last week, passed the ball around with confidence. Nonetheless, United settled down to something approaching their normal standard and started to look dangerous.
Following a string of passes, Welbeck found Patrice Evra on the left flank. The Frenchman duly delivered a quality left-footed cross which curled away from the Everton keeper right into the path of Chicharito darting in at the back post. The Mexican made no mistake and United were a goal to the good with 19 minutes gone.
The team in red was looking impressive at this point with a sense of urgency and treating fans to some incisive inter-passing movements that we have rarely seen from them of late.
However, Everton fought back and enjoyed a good spell in the 10 minutes leading up to half time. De Gea was called upon to save from Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell shot wide when he should have done better. Then in the 40th minute, Leighton Baines was desperately unlucky to see his excellent free kick come back off the crossbar with De Gea nowhere in sight.
Everton were still not done, and former United marksman Louis Saha tested De Gea twice before the whistle blew for the break.
United Defend Doggedly
Everton played much of the second half the way they had finished the first period and dominated for long periods. Rodwell had another good chance in the 53rd minute and this time was on target bringing the best out of De Gea.
Two minutes later, Tom Cleverly was forced to leave the field with a knock and Nani entered the fray. Cleverley has looked the part this season and Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping that this new injury is not too serious.
For the last quarter of an hour of the match, United were forced to defend doggedly and one wonders if they would have managed to hold out had Vidic not been playing. The Serb was inspirational on his return, and the United faithful will be praying that he remains fit and a permanent fixture at the heart of United’s defense for the remainder of the season.
This was by no means a vintage performance by the champions, and they only showed what they are capable of in brief flashes. Nonetheless they succeeded in grinding out what was unquestionably a morale-boosting win away from home. The victory will go some way towards exorcising the demons of last week’s derby debacle.
