"Better than Caicedo + Rice", "Major talent on their hands" - Manchester United fans in awe of star's performance in 3-0 drubbing of Everton
Manchester United fans hailed Kobbie Mainoo for his sensational performance on his first-ever Premier League start against Everton. The Red Devils secured a 3-0 win against the Toffees at Goodison Park on Sunday, November 26.
Erik ten Hag and Co. got off to a perfect start in the third minute after Alejandro Garnacho scored from an outstanding bicycle kick to silence the home crowd. Everton had a big chance to score in the 31st minute, however, Dominic Calvert- Lewin's sent his header straight to Andre Onana. James Garner was then denied a minute later with Kobbie Mainoo making a last-ditch goal-line clearance.
The Toffees ended the first half on a dominant note but continued to miss a host of glorious opportunities. They were punished in the 56th minute after Marcus Rashford converted his penalty after Anthony Martial was fouled in the box by Ashley Young. Bruno Fernandes then assisted Martial in the 75th minute to seal all three points for Manchester United.
Fans waxed lyrical about Mainoo after his stellar performance as the team's No. 6. The 18-year-old made his first appearance of the season after suffering a serious ankle injury during pre-season but looked assured on and off the ball. Mainoo had a pass accuracy of 83% and won 100% of his tackles. Moreover, he made three recoveries, won five duels, and made two interceptions.
One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"Better than Caicedo + Rice."
A media outlet posted:
"18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo with a man of the match performance in his first-ever Premier League start. Man United have a major talent on their hands."
The Red Devils remain sixth in the Premier League standings with 24 points from 13 games, six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Everton vs Manchester United: Exploring the stats from Premier League clash
Manchester United were able to dig deep to secure an impressive 3-0 win away from home on Sunday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
Everton edged the Red Devils in possession with 51% of the ball. They also attempted a total of 432 passes with an accuracy of 77%. In contrast, the away side had 49% possession and attempted 433 passes with an accuracy of 75%.
Everton looked more threatening in attack, landing a mammoth total of 22 shots with six being on target. However, they failed to make the most of their chances, hitting the woodwork once and having two attempts cleared off the line. On the other hand, Manchester United had nine shots in total, landing four on target, scoring three of them.