Manchester United took on Everton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday. The game was played at a furious pace from start to finish and eventually resulted in United progressing to the finals after beating Everton 1-2 in normal time.
The game afforded excellent chances to both sides before Marouane Fellaini put the Manchester Club in front. Everton came back strongly in the second half and were awarded a penalty for a foul on Ross Barkley which David de Gea saved spectacularly to keep Manchester United in the lead.
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Everton equalised eventually through a Chris Smalling own goal only to concede a late winner to Antony Martial whose performance on the night drove Manchester United into the final.
Here’s a look at the player ratings.
Everton
Joel Robles – 7/10
Joel Robles let in 2 goals on the night but perhaps could’ve done little for both. He did produce some wonderful saves early on in the game to keep Everton in it.
Muhamed Besic – 5/10
Thrown into an unfamiliar role at right-back, Muhamed Besic was the focus of attack for Manchester United for long periods in the game. He tried his best to hold fort but seemed hopeless at times.
John Stones – 5/10
John Stones had a poor game on the night as he looked woefully out of place in the first half. In the second half, he offered an extra body going forward with some slick play with the ball driving forward from defence but that was about it.
Phil Jagielka – 6/10
Questionably brought into the team without having achieved full fitness, Everton were saved on occasions by Jagielka but even then he didn’t seem all that comfortable in the game.
Leighton Baines – 6/10
Leighton Baines did reasonably well on the night and tried his best to keep the boat stable. He seemed strong going forward as well.
Darren Gibson – 6/10
Up against his former team, Darren Gibson did decently well ticking play for Everton but was constantly overrun in midfield.
James McCarthy – 6/10
James McCarthy had an odd game where he was left running rings around himself as Manchester United easily overpowered him and his partner in midfield.
Ross Barkley– 8/10
Ross Barkley seemed to be one of two players who knew exactly how to go about an FA Cup Semi Final for Everton. He was a constant threat for Everton and even won them a penalty.
Aaron Lennon – 5/10
Aaron Lennon looked sufficiently lost all game and didn’t seem to relish the idea of squaring up with Rojo for some reason.
Tom Cleverley – 5/10
Tom Cleverley showed some fight and energy but eventually faded away.
Romelu Lukaku– 8/10
Romelu Lukaku made a complete nuisance of himself, driving into the box and putting defenders under considerable pressure but couldn’t make something concrete out of it. The penalty miss added to his woes.
Substitutes:
Gerard Deulofeu – 6/10
Gerard Deulofeu flattered to deceive as he kept losing possession in vital moments but he did put the ball in for the equaliser.
Kevin Mirallas – N/A
Manchester United
David de Gea – 9/10
David de Gea made a string of saves and produced a fine penalty save to keep Manchester United in the lead for longer. He put in one of his finest displays on the night.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah – 6/10
Timothy Fosu-Mensah was a threat going forwards but was not all that calm defending eventually giving away a penalty for a pointless foul on Ross Barkley. He didn’t do anything of note in the game.
Chris Smalling – 6/10
Chris Smalling was bullied a whole lot by Romelu Lukaku and was unfortunate enough to hand Everton the equalizer by rifling into his own net.
Daley Blind – 6/10
Daley Blind was bullied too on the night and could barely keep Romelu Lukaku out, but seemed more assured than the other defenders.
Marcos Rojo – 5/10
Marcos Rojo did not look assured defensively and did not do anything lasting going forward. An average game from the Argentinean by all counts.
Michael Carrick – 7/10
Michael Carrick did well to tick play but was probably overrun in midfield without support from proper midfielders on the night.
Marouane Fellaini– 7/10
Marouane Fellaini was incredible going forward and nearly put Manchester United into a commanding lead a couple of times but was denied by some last ditch defending. He scored the opener after drifting away from the Everton defense but his defensive showing was lax. He did make a last ditch clearance of note.
Wayne Rooney – 7/10
Wayne Rooney grew jaded as the game progressed but was all over the pitch in the beginning. His energy and drive was crucial to Manchester United in the opening stages in the game but seemed to be unclear about his role in the team.
Jesse Lingard – 6/10
Jesse Lingard started brightly and played a part in some of Manchester United’s best-attacking moves but faded quickly as the game progressed.
Anthony Martial – 9/10
Manchester United have a big player in Anthony Martial and you could see it in this game as well. Martial created the opener and magnificently took the winner in his stride. He was a threat throughout the game and completely annihilated Besic on the night.
Marcus Rashford – 8/10
Marcus Rashford is another player with a big future ahead of him as he showed on the night. A display full of energy, drive and verve, Rashford was a constant menace to the Everton side
Substitutes:
Antonio Valencia – 6/10
Antonio Valencia gave Manchester United some semblance of stability after coming on for Fosu-Mensah who was having a torrid time.
Ander Herrera – N/A
