Everton vs Manchester United: Preview, Live stream & TV channel info, Team News, Prediction, Betting odds

Wayne Rooney (R) returns to Goodison Park as Manchester United take on his former club Everton

The Premier League returns to action on the back of a dramatic international break and this Saturday sees Louis van Gaal’s side travel to Goodison Park where they will face Roberto Martinez’s Everton. Manchester United will be wary of their recent record at Everton which reads 3 defeats in 3 games. Coming into this match on the back of a 3-0 pounding at the hands of Arsenal, the Red Devils will be looking to overturn that pathetic record at Goodison Park.

Kickoff and Live Telecast

Channel: StarSports 1

Live Stream: www.starsports.com

Date and Time: Saturday, 17th October 2015 – 1930 IST

Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool

Team News

Everton

Everton are set to welcome John Stones back from a knee injury that forced him to be sidelined for the Toffees’ last two games and the international break. Right-back Seamus Coleman also played his first game of the month when he featured for the Republic of Ireland against Poland during the international break and will compete for a starting spot.

Kevin Mirallas also returns to the squad after completing a 3-game suspension. Tom Cleverley and Steven Pienaar are also expected to return to the bench after recovering from their respective injuries. Mo Besic and Leighton Baines remain absent from the squad.

Manchester United

United will be boosted by the recovery of Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney from minor knocks in time for Saturday’s game. Marcos Rojo and Ander Herrera are also fit but are unlikely to start. Ashley Young remains sidelined with a calf injury he sustained in the Arsenal game. Paddy McNair is also unlikely to feature after damaging his liver during the international break while Luke Shaw remains a long-term absentee for the Red Devils.

Predicted Line-Ups

Form

Everton

Martinez has seen his team lose just once (to table toppers Manchester City) in the league this season, and their good form has to be attributed to their attacking index upfront. Striker Romelu Lukaku’s strength and alertness inside the box has seen him find the net 5 times this season. The Belgian has been well supported by Arouna Kone when he has had lax moments on the field.

The attacking midfield trio of Ross Barkley, Steven Naismith and Gerard Deulofeu has never been short of supplying balls into the box for Lukaku to work with. United’s defence will have to be sharper than they were in the opening 20 minutes of the Arsenal game if they are to weather the storm Everton’s attack can create upfront.

If there is one area Everton lack, it is their inability to field a solid back 4, which has forced them to come back from losing positions on more than one occasion this season, especially in the games against West Brom and Barnsley (Capital One Cup). Injuries have forced Martinez to tinker with his back-line, but with the return of two of his first choice defenders for this game, he will be less worried about his defence than in the previous fixtures.

Last 5 games: D-W-W-D-W (Most Recent: Everton 1-1 Liverpool)

Manchester United lost 3-0 at Arsenal in their last EPL fixture

Manchester United

Van Gaal would have been nonplussed at the manner by which his side were simply blown apart by Arsenal in the opening stages of the game at the Emirates Stadium. Theo Walcott’s pace and Alexis Sanchez’s work-rate proved too much for a United defence that simply did not turn up that day.

The 64-year-old’s primary objective on Saturday will be to ensure that his defenders are focused from the first minute and do not concede soft goals early on. Playing Phil Jones alongside Chris Smalling at centre-back may be a good option for Van Gaal to consider, which means Daley Blind shifts to left-back.

Captain Wayne Rooney’s position in the team will also be another headache for the Dutch manager to deal with. With just a solitary goal against a lowly Sunderland this season, he may well have to consider alternatives to the 29-year-old if his displays on the field do not improve. With key games against CSKA Moscow (Champions League) and Manchester City coming up in the next eight days, Rooney will have to deliver the goods against his former club if he has to ensure that his place in the team is not under threat in the near future.

Last 5 games: L-W-W-W-W (Most Recent: Arsenal 3-0 Manchester United)

Key Stats

Head-to-Head

1. United have won just once in their last 6 appearances against Everton (D1, L4)
2. They have lost to Everton on their last 3 visits to Goodison Park
3. United have failed to even score on any of the last 3 visits (1-0, 2-0, 3-0)

Everton

1. Everton have lost just once in all competitions this season (0-2 against Manchester City)
2. Gareth Barry is set to make his 550th Premier League start on Saturday
3. The last time Everton kept a clean sheet at Goodison Park was against United in their 3-0 victory in April

Manchester United

1. United’s 3 defeats this season (all competitions) have all come away from Old Trafford
2. They have lost 5 of their last 9 away games in all competitions (W3, D1)
3. Rooney has not scored away from home in the Premier League since netting against Arsenal at the Emirates in November 2014, a run that stretches to 17 games. His last goal at Goodison Park was in April 2007.

Key Battles

Juan Mata vs Brendan Galloway

19-year-old Brendan Galloway has been excellent at left-back for Everton deputising for Baines. However, he is set to face his biggest challenge when he locks horns with Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata. The 27-year-old has been in excellent form throughout the season, with his deft touches and sublime vision of the game proving to be a menace for opposition defenders all campaign.

Approaching from the right, the teenager Galloway will play an important role in countering the threat the Spaniard brings to United’s attack by trying to intercept his feeding of balls to Rooney and Anthony Martial upfront.

Juan Mata and Anthony Martial have scored 3 goals each for Manchester United this season

Phil Jagielka vs Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial’s rapid feet and quick thinking inside the box have been the highlight of the Premier League since his arrival at Old Trafford. Phil Jagielka is next in line to face his wrath and the veteran defender will have to use all his experience to handle the 19-year-old’s activity in the penalty area over the 90 minutes.

The Premier League’s Player of the Month for September (who has scored thrice and assisted once in 4 Premier League games this season) on the other hand, will be looking to add to that tally by exploiting the 33-year-old’s lack of pace through the course of the game. Will it be Martial’s skill or Jagielka’s experience that prevails at Goodison on Saturday?

Prediction

Manchester United’s faltering defence and Everton’s prowess in attack is likely to make one feel that the result is going to be no different from the last three encounters on this ground – an Everton victory. Lukaku’s presence up front is set to cause many problems in United’s back-line, whatever the combination of players Louis van Gaal decides to start on Saturday.

Everton 2-1 Manchester United

Betting Odds (bet365)

Everton – 9/4

Draw – 12/5

Man Utd – 11/8