Manchester United are on a great run in the past 10 days. They managed to get two great victories against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City last week and on Thursday they had a great time out at Old Trafford, easily getting past AZ Alkmaar in Europa League. With that win, they also claimed the top spot in their group ahead of the Monday’s draw for round of 32 and now the focus will be solely on Premier League.
The next match comes against Everton at Old Trafford, a side that is in a delicate situation. There are several reasons why they should not be underestimated, if a 3-1 win over Chelsea last week is not a good enough reason on its own. Here is what you need to know.
How Are They Doing?
Despite that win over Chelsea, they are doing quite badly. With just 17 points from 16 matches, they are just above relegation places, having two points more than Southampton, the best-placed team in the dangerous zone. They have won five games, drew twice and lost nine, shipping in 28 goals. After three consecutive losses, to Norwich, Leicester and Liverpool, Marco Silva got sacked from his managerial position and now the club are in search of a manager.
What About The Manager?
Marco Silva’s departure was looming for quite a long time, but just how chaotic it is at Goodison Park these days shows the fact that the club had no idea who is going to come in after the Portuguese. The managers linked with the job are of very differing profiles, which only shows the lack of planning and a coherent idea among board members. Duncan Ferguson took over until they resolve that issue and he might even stay until the end of the season if he makes the most out of a tough run of matches – against Chelsea and Man United, they will also play Arsenal and then Man City on New Year’s Day.
Are They This Bad?
If a simplistic answer is needed, then no. Everton are not this bad of a team and everything suggests that they have been just badly underperforming this season. Not only had they scored four goals less than their expected numbers suggest they should have, they have also shipped in whopping seven goals more than xGA suggests. This means that their xG difference is around ‘plus 3’, but in reality, it is ‘negative nine’!
Their side has enough quality to get into the top half of the league, but the players like Gylfi Sigurdsson need to step it up.
Watch Out For Richarlison
Without the shadow of a doubt, the Brazilian is the most dangerous player Everton have right now. He has been their everything in attack, by creating the most of all attackers and also getting into the chances the most. He scored six goals and added two assists, showing that he can do both sides of the job in a very uninspiring side. Also, keep an eye on former Barcelona full-back Lucas Digne, who has been creating a lot of chances, or to be precise 2.60 key passes per 90 minutes.
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