Red mist for Gana but Dewsbury-Hall gives Everton something to defend

Manchester Utd 0 - 1 Everton; Red Card for Gana [13']

Everton recovered from a moment of sheer madness when Gana bitch-slapped Keane and saw red in the 13th minute, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring an excellent goal for the 10 men to defend superbly to give Moyes his first away win at Old Trafford. 

Everton are missing Jarrad Branthwaite and Merlin Röhl. But Seamus Coleman gets a rare start in place of Jake O'Brien, who is benched. Two goalkeepers named as subs again, with no place for Nathan Patterson.

The home side have Joshua Zirkzee leading the frontline with Cunha out and Benjamin Sesko also injured. Harry Maguire is also sidelined.

The pre-match hype seems to have been off the scale but none of that matters now with the teams finally taking to the field to get this one under way.

First Half

Everton, all in blue, got the game started, and of course played it back to Pickford for the hoof upfield. Neither side pushed up and Dewsbury-Hall was fouled in midfield, overhit his delivery straight out of play. 

Everton forced a turnover but Barry just lacked any physicality in driving forward and lost the challenge. gana drove Everton upfield, Ndiaye's cross just too far ahead of Barry. Off the ball, Takoski shoved Zirkzee over, and he wasn't happy at all, handbags drawn. 

Gana then stole the ball off Zirkzee and got the ball out to Ndiaye who tried to pivot but shot high and wide.  Then an early change for the much hyped high performer for Ireland: Coleman off inside 10 minutes. 

Mykolenko's long throw wasn't long enough, but Everton were doing a good job of spoiling the home side's efforts to play out. But Mbuemo changed that inan instance. And Fernandes fired one that Pickford saved 

Then an utterly bizarre moment as Gana lost his head. Utterly astounding! He goes at Michael Keane, pushing and then bitch-slapping him; red card!!! The most idiotic moment ever witnessed surely as Pickford and Ndiaye tried in vain to calm Gana down and get him off the field. 

Man Utd tried to take advantage but Pickford stood firm and Ndiaye eventually broke forward but he could not feed Barry. The 10 men of Everton would battle on but surely Gana had just handed them a massive advantage. Although they say in football it can be hard to play against 10 men.

Mykolenko had to produce a perfect sliding tackle to dispossess Mazraoui in the Everton box at the expense of a corner. Zirkzee ran into Tarkowski and playacted as if shot dead. 

Another Mykolenko long throw barely made it into the Man Utd penalty area. Grealish sent in a great ball but Barry couldn't get behind it. Everton were playing the better football and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall produced a purler from the edge of the box, a stunning strike. 

Amad tried to make amends but Pickford wasn't letting his shot get past him. Man Utd mounted a much better attack, but Dorgu at the far post volleyed wide. Then Amad got behind the Everton backline but he was offside.

The Red Devils were finally putting some moves together and making Everton chase the ball a little more. A Pickford punt found Barry but his layoff didn't find Ndiaye. Keane than came racing across and in hard but accurately to stop Mbuemo getting to a forward ball. 

Grealish and Barry failed to combine but at least forced a throw-in but nothing came of it. Fernandes looked to play a good cross to the far post but it went through harmlessly. Then Amad tried to force a shot that squirmed wide. 

Everton won a free-kick wide right but there was no power in Dewsbury-Hall's header. More solid defending was required at the other end and a tremendous strike by Fernandes was saved superbly by Pickford. 

Mbuemo then grabbed Garner's shirt for an obvious yellow card but Everton completely messed up the free kick. Everton continued to control the game and went in ahead at half-time despite Gana's self-destruction.

Second Half

Everton had to drop back and defend but continued to thwart the Red Devils. But they were not careful enough to retain possession after a string of turnovers. Casemiro lunged in on Grealish, yellow card, but the free-kick wasted as Tarkowski pushed a defender. 

Mount headed wide; Casemiro drop-volleyed wide; Mbuemo's cross in was deflected to Pickford; Shaw's cross was deflected behind for a corner that United made a right mess of. 

Mbuemo thought he could win a penalty but Keane was too quick to clip the ball away from him first. Dewsbury-Hall tried to break forward but was fouled, however, they completely wasted the free-kick.

Everton continued to defend but Mbeumo almost scored and then Mount curled one just wide. Grealish had to throw himself in front of Amad. When Everton did break out, Barry was flagged offside. Amad crossed in but the ball beat everyone. Mbeumo volleyed another one toward the corner flag. 

Everton did get forward and Grealish almost shot... but didn't. Dewsbury-Hall crossed beyond the back post and won a throw but Tarkowski fould a defender befre the ball came in. It set up Man Utd for one of their best setups, De Ligt cutting it back for Fernandes who blazed over.  

More slow Man Utd workaround play was again interrupted but the ball wasn't sticking for Ndiaye, who lost it numerous times.  Grealish drew another free-kick as the plan now was to play for time,  Grealish drawing another free-kick from Amad.

Garner almost set up Keane at the near post, winning a corner. But his corner didn't beat the first man at the near post, and play returned up Everton's end yet again Shaw crossed in for Zirkzee to head it goalward and Pickford was across superbly to finger-tip it around the post. Barry headed away the corner, Fernandes fires another tremendous shot, just a foot over the angle.

Moyes made some changes and the pattern of play resumed, Everton defending everything with determination and resolution into the last 5 minutes but it got more and more frenetic. 

Good work from Mainoo to get in a cross but Zirkzee heads it wide. More changes from David Moyes, making full use of his 5 subs for only the second time this season. 

De Ligt put in a good cross that Zirkzee headed goalward but Pickford again was there to palm it over. Everton broke but Beto tripped over his feet and the ball. 

De Ligt rolls a shot that Pickford saves easily. Man Utd get a corner and it looks like someone must head it home but no. And the Blues defence stands firm to the bitter end, a rousing round of boos from the home crowd as the Evertonians go wild! A fantastic win at Old Trafford for Everton and David Moyes. 

Manchester Utd:  Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui (46' Mount), Casemiro [Y:50'] (58' Dalot), Fernandes, Dorgu (58' Mainoo); Amad, Zirkzee, Mbeumo [Y:44'].

Subs not Used: Bayindir, Dalot, Heaven, Malacia, Martinez, Ugarte, Lacey.

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Keane, Tarkowski, Coleman (10' O'Brien),  Garner, Gueye [R:14'], Ndiaye (82' Iroegbunam), Dewsbury-Hall (88' Alcaraz), Grealish (87' McNeil), Barry (82' Beto).

Subs not Used: King, Travers, Aznou, Dibling.

 

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