Manchester United ease pressure on Jose Mourinho with Everton win

Without the dropped Romelu Lukaku, United played one of its best matches of a turbulent season and beat Everton 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Manchester United's Paul Pogba (SL) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League match against Everton | AP
Manchester United's Paul Pogba (SL) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League match against Everton | AP

MANCHESTER: Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho by seeing off Everton 2-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Chelsea leapfrogged Manchester City into second with a 4-0 thrashing of Burnley.

United's fifth defeat of the season to Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday had put Mourinho's position in peril once more.

But he got the slice of luck he needed when Paul Pogba's penalty was saved by England number one Jordan Pickford, but rolled kindly back into the Frenchman's path to slot home the opener.

The United fans still weren't happy with Pogba, though, as he received jeers for his laboured run-up to the spot-kick.

Pogba made some amends as it was from his pass Anthony Martial curled home a fine second four minutes into the second half.

However, another sloppy pass from Pogba helped get Everton back in the game as Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the penalty spot after Chris Smalling chopped down Richarlison.

Without the dropped Romelu Lukaku, United played one of its best matches of a turbulent season and beat Everton 2-1 at Old Trafford.

United looked a different proposition without the big striker, pouring forward into open spaces and playing the kind of exciting, attacking football rarely seen under its pragmatic manager, Jose Mourinho. Two players who benefited from Lukaku's absence — Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial — were the scorers.

Everton scored its goal, and had its best period of the game, when Lukaku was on the field as a substitute. Gylfi Sigurdsson converted a penalty after Richarlison was fouled by Chris Smalling, but United held on for the win in front of some special guests.

The 12 boys who were trapped with their soccer coach in a flooded cave in northern Thailand for almost three weeks were guests at Old Trafford for the match, and wore red-and-white United scarves for the occasion.

United moved up to eighth in the standings, nine points behind leader Liverpool, and still look unlikely to be challenging for the title this season. Chelsea could be there for the long haul, though.

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