Everton vs Manchester United: 5 Key Talking Points
Score: Everton 0 - 2 Manchester United
Goalscorers: Anthony Martial 57', Jesse Lingard 80' (both assists from the man of the match, Paul Pogba)
Manchester United turned on the heat in the second half to begin the year 2018 with a much-needed win and climb back up to 2nd place (Chelsea play Arsenal in a couple of days) and inject some much-needed positivity within the supporters ranks.
Here, then, are the five key talking points from the match
#5 Manchester United completely overhaul their system - and formation - and succeed
After being forced to make a raft of changes, Manchester United finally broke a seemingly endless loop of three consecutive draws (performance and motivation levels dipping with each passing match) with a cathartic win at Goodison Park.
While in the first half they looked like they were carrying all the hangovers of the catastrophic nightmare that was December, by the second half, they looked a different side. Where in the first half, they all got into each others way as everyone flitted about in the attacking third without a specific role, in the second half things changed when Paul Pogba started hugging the left touchline and wreaking havoc down the left - and Juan Mata did much the same down the other side (In fact it was Mata who started off the spell that built up momentum for the opener with a cracking shot that cannoned off Pickford's far post).
With Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial moving around fluidly, United played their best football for a month and a half, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Hopefully, for United fans, the Red Devils can carry this momentum through the rest of the year.