Rangnick delighted with Bruno Fernandes’ new contract
The Champions League will not beckon for Manchester United. The Championship may not for Everton. If Ralf Rangnick’s interim period at Old Trafford will end in failure, there was a glimpse of salvation for Frank Lampard.
In the battle of the fallen giants, it was Everton, threatened with a precipitous drop out of the top flight after 68 years, who prevailed. They have spent – some would say wasted – some £550 million under owner Farhad Moshiri but a potentially priceless winner came from a homegrown local, Anthony Gordon. After just 11 points from their previous 22 matches, Everton conjured three and grasped at a lifeline. There may be none for United. Their chances of a top-four finish had already looked remote. Rangnick had conceded they lacked margin for error and they duly erred, delivering the sort of shapeless, witless performance that has felt a recurring theme in their season.
They lacked cohesion and chemistry. They had Cristiano Ronaldo back but, until he drew an injury-time save from Jordan Pickford, he was ineffectual. They ended with a central midfield trio of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata, making a belated first Premier League appearance of the season, symbolising a club who have overloaded on attack-minded players, lack balance and score too few goals. Follow all the reaction and updates from Everton vs Manchester United below:
Abject cowardice of Manchester United gifts Everton hope in relegation fight
After beating Everton at Turf Moor on Wednesday night to pull his own team towards safety and compound the Toffees’ misery, Burnley manager Sean Dyche chortled: “I said [to my players] before the match, ‘these don’t know how to win a game lads!’”
Dyche wasn’t wrong. Everton had only won three Premier League matches in six months when they kicked off in Lancashire, and by full-time had suffered their eighth defeat in the 12 matches Frank Lampard had taken charge of since replacing Rafael Benitez as the club’s manager in February.
The result left the Blues a solitary point above the relegation zone, with a desperately unbalanced side that has lingering moments of quality in attack but vulnerabilities across the rest of the pitch and hopelessness spreading through the squad like mould.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:40
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
Top class performance from Jordan Pickford today. This is what three points mean.
(Getty Images)
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:35
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
Manchester United have won just 47% of their Premier League games under Ralf Rangnick (8/17), their lowest win rate under any manager in the competition.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:32
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:28
Full-time: Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
90+5 mins: Everton win! It’s a massive, massive three points for Frank Lampard’s men. There’s a huge roar around Goodison Park and an equally big sigh of relief from the manager.
That loss is a blow to Manchester United’s top four hopes, they’ve got a huge mountain to climb now.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:23
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
90+3 mins: Save! Alex Telles flicks another cross into the penalty area and finds Harry Maguire who’s stayed up the pitch. Maguire nods the ball into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo who controls it and shoots on the turn but Jordan Pickford is gets his hand there and keeps it out!
He’s been fantastic for Everton today.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:21
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
90 mins: Five minutes of added time to play at Goodison Park. The home fans should be nervous about that but Everton seem in total control of the game.
Richarlison takes the ball to corner flag and holds it up against Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes. Game management in full effect for Everton now.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:18
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
87 mins: Fabian Delph lasted 84 minutes on his return to the Everton team but has been replaced with Abdoulaye Doucoure. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jordan Pickford have both been booked. Pickford for time-wasting and Ronaldo for a late tackle.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:16
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
84 mins: Jadon Sancho dribbles his way into the left side of the box and slips a pass to Juan Mata. He lifts it across to Anthony Elanga but Gordon closes him down, nicks the ball and boots it clear.
United come again through Sancho on the left. He chips that ball over to Wan-Bissaka on the right side of the box. He brings the ball down onto his chest and volleys a shot at goal only for Demarai Gray to leap in front of the effort and block it.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:11
Everton 1 – 0 Man Utd
81 mins: Save! Jordan Pickford is definitely a contender for man of the match. Ronaldo feeds the ball over to Pogba to rolls it onto his right foot and fires one at goal from range. It’s a low effort that gets through the bodies in the box but can’t beat Pickford who drops down to his right and clings onto the ball.
Michael Jones9 April 2022 14:09