Manchester United vs Everton: Match preview, betting tips and predictions

Edison Cavani will race against time to be fit ahead of the visit of Everton to Old Trafford on Saturday. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com)

Manchester United vs Everton
Old Trafford
9:00pm

Manchester United are now trailing their neighbors on the log, they’re in a very strong position considering how poor they were at the start of the season but they are falling behind the wrong team.

Manchester City won’t slip up as many times as United would wish, it’s a strange season, one that has seen nine teams at the top including Arsenal, Aston Villa, Southampton and Spurs sometime in December but for United to return to the top, they must win every game and hope rivals don’t.

Everton have thrown themselves into top four mix, they were on top of the league in October and got pundits wondering if they could actually go on and do a Leicester but injuries to key players and questionable selection from Carlo Ancelotti threw them off balance at crucial moments.

Everton have been fantastic away from home, incidentally same as United who haven’t really been up to it at home but can either side afford to slip up here?

Dominic Calvert Lewin was the leading light up front at the start of the season, scoring almost every game week, he was back among the goals last weekend and should be a threat against the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Manchester United beat 9 men Southampton in midweek and but the score line isn’t the only headline, kid debutant for the Saints got sent off inside the opening two minutes and it went south for Ralph Hassenhuetl’s side from there.

Nine goals went past Alex McCarthy, the second season running that the Saints have shipped nine in a game but they can take solace in the fact that they went on a survival charge from that horrendous result at home against the Foxes.

How will they line up? Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will have to make a decision on Edison Cavani, he limped off in the win over Southampton and was replaced by Anthony Martial who got in on the act on Wednesday.

Everton will keep their defensive shape, Ben Godfrey and Yeri Mina will be tasked with the big job of stopping the Reds but they must be wary of their indiscipline issues as Bruno Fernandes will be on hand to punish them from six yards out.

In the dugout, experience against vibes, Ancelotti against Solksjaer, it would be a cracker.

Manchester United came from behind to win 3-1 in the first leg, it was Edison Cavani’s show late on as he came off the bench to round off the scoring for his debut goal.