Everton vs. Man Utd: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Manchester United will arrive at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night with revenge on their minds and a Champions League place in their sights. When the sides last met in November, United slumped to a 1-0 defeat despite Everton playing with ten men for more than 75 minutes; interim boss Michael Carrick knows anything less than redemption on Merseyside could dent his team’s surging top-five push.

The visitors have benefited from an unexpected fortnight of rest after an early FA Cup exit, while Everton have been idle since their 1-0 loss at Bournemouth on 10 February. That same evening United laboured to a 1-1 draw with West Ham, but Carrick’s subsequent overhaul has lifted the Red Devils up the table and into realistic contention for Europe’s premier club competition. A top-five finish, UEFA’s revised qualification route suggests, will almost certainly be enough.

David Moyes, managing against his former club, still harbours continental ambitions of his own. Seventh-placed Everton are targeting either Europa League or Conference League football, yet a run of six winless home matches has undermined their credentials. Monday’s clash, therefore, carries added weight: three points for either side could prove decisive in the scramble for European places.

Team news tilts the balance further toward the visitors. Everton will be without on-loan winger Jack Grealish for the rest of the season after the Manchester City man suffered a foot fracture, while right-back Jake O’Brien sits out through suspension after his red card on the south coast. Veteran skipper Séamus Coleman returns to contention and is expected to slot straight into the back line. Moyes is likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1: Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Dominic Barry leading the attack.

United’s infirmary remains busy but stable. Mason Mount continues to nurse his latest setback, Matthijs de Ligt’s comeback from an ankle problem is on hold, and Patrick Dorgu is still recovering from the injury he sustained at the Emirates. Carrick reported no new concerns after the West Ham stalemate and is set to keep faith with a fluid 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; with in-form Bryan Mbeumo spearheading the line.

Form and firepower point to an away victory. Everton’s scoring woes at home—one goal in their last six league fixtures at the Hill Dickinson Stadium—play into the hands of a United side discovering chemistry between Bruno Fernandes, Cunha and Mbeumo. Expect a cagey affair rather than a free-flowing thriller, but Carrick’s rejuvenated outfit should have enough guile and energy to collect three vital points in the race for Europe.

Global viewers can follow the action live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD and Sky GO in the UK; USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO and UNIVERSO NOW in the United States; and via DAZN Canada and fuboTV Canada.

Prediction: Everton 0-2 Manchester United

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