Manchester United 1-0 Everton: Player ratings
Manchester United moved up a place to fifth as Anthony Martial’s 54th-minute strike gave the home side a 1-0 victory over Everton in a game which will be remembered for Old Trafford’s South Stand being named in the honour of Sir Bobby Charlton.
Everton did have a couple of good chances which fell to Phil Jagielka but he could not make them count as United moved to within a point of Manchester City.
Here are the ratings for the players from the match:
Manchester United
David de Gea – 7.5
The Spanish goalkeeper didn’t have much work to do on Sunday. He beat Romelu Lukaku to a vital clearance after Smalling had slipped and instinctively palmed away Phil Jagielka's shot from eight yards out in the second half.
Matteo Darmian – 7.5
The ex-Torino man was effective on both sides of the flank (right back in the first half and left-back in the second half). He made delightful approaches across the bye-line and defensively kept Gerard Deulofeu at bay in the second half.
Daley Blind – 8.5
What a fantastic performance by Netherlands’ latest captain! He shut all doors for Romelu Lukaku with his terrific reading of the game. Despite being inferior in terms of physique and pace, his ability to anticipate the Belgian’s next movements helped his cause immensely.
Chris Smalling – 7
It was a solid performance from England’s centre-half. Despite slipping on one occasion - forcing David de Gea to clear up with Romelu Lukaku approaching – he maintained his composure for pretty much the entire game. He, along with Blind, were influential in impeding the service to Lukaku.
Marcos Rojo – 6
Unfortunately, it was a day to forget for the Argentine. He was getting constantly beaten by Gerard Deulofeu on the left wing. He was hauled off at half-time.
Morgan Schneiderlin – 6.5
The French midfielder was slightly erratic in his distribution but did well to keep Ross Barkley quiet as far as ball retrieval was concerned.
Michael Carrick – 6
It was an off day for United’s veteran midfielder, much contrasting from his amazing display at Manchester City two weeks ago. His passing didn’t find the required target on a number of occasions, hence disrupting his side’s ball movement.
Juan Mata – 7.5
He was ineffective on the right side of midfield, but since going central in the second half he was at his best. He controlled long passes really well and fed the wingers on either side with some sublime passing. He was part of the build-up to United’s goal, where he expertly controlled a lofted ball and kept the ball in United’s possession.
Jesse Lingard – 7
He played with real confidence in the attacking third, linking up well with Matteo Darmian (first half) and Tim Fosu-Mensah (second half) on the wing to give Leighton Baines a torrid outing.
Anthony Martial – 8
At 20, Martial already looks an integral part of Manchester United’s future plans. Apart from scoring the winner, he tested Seamus Coleman on a number of instances with his pace and quick dribbling.
He was unlucky not to score in the first half – his shot taking the slightest deflection off Leighton Baines. It wasn’t spotted by the officials as Everton won a goal-kick.
Marcus Rashford – 7
While Sunday was the French prodigy’s day, it was also a day of progress for United’s local wonder-kid. He showed what he was capable of with some dashing runs through the middle and from the right. His excitement to do all the work by himself is something he will learn to tone down.
Having an awareness of his teammates around him and passing the ball around will only make him a better prospect in the future.
Substitutions
Tim Fosu-Mensah - 8
He was instrumental at right-back since replacing Rojo at the break. He was bubbly down the wings – his willingness to take the opposition full-back on is reflective of the desire fans expect from their players.
He provided the assist for Martial’s goal. Once he was shifted to centre-back following the introduction of Antonio Valencia, he grabbed the headlines with a match-winning clearance to deny a whipping cross from reaching Kevin Mirallas at the far post.
Ander Herrera – 7
Since coming on for Michael Carrick on 58 minutes, Herrera was an intense figure in the heart of midfield. His passing was more accurate than Carrick’s and he was getting himself involved in United’s attacking pursuits as well.
Antonio Valencia – N/A
He replaced a tiring Daley Blind late in the game. Apart from a couple of runs down the flanks, he didn’t have enough time to make a mark.