Everton vs Manchester United
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First-Half
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Second Half
Match Overview
The upcoming match between Everton and Manchester United is part of the Premier League’s Gameweek 26, scheduled for February 22, 2025, at Goodison Park, kicking off at 12:30 pm UK time. This will be Manchester United’s final visit to Goodison Park before Everton moves to a new stadium.
Team Form and Recent Performance
Everton has seen a remarkable turnaround under David Moyes, earning 13 points in their last 6 games with 4 wins, compared to just 3 wins in 19 games under Sean Dyche. Their recent 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace, with Carlos Alcaraz scoring his first goal, highlights their counter-attacking threat. Everton is currently 13 points from both relegation and the top 5, and 9 points from 8th place, which could offer European football.
Manchester United, under Ruben Amorim, is struggling, having lost 8 of their last 12 league games, including 5 of their last 6 at home. Their recent 1-0 defeat at Tottenham underscores their attacking woes, with key forwards like Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee failing to score in recent matches. United has failed to score in 10 games this season, a joint-record in Premier League history with 13 games left.
Historical Context and Head-to-Head
Historically, Manchester United has dominated recent encounters, winning the last 5 meetings with an aggregate score of 11-0 in the last 4, including a 4-0 victory in their last meeting with an expected goals (xG) of 0.73 against Everton. Everton hasn’t scored against United since a match involving Wolves in the late 1950s, adding to the challenge.
Team News and Lineups
Everton welcomes back Abdoulaye Doucoure from suspension, but faces injuries to Iliman Ndiaye (out 6-8 weeks with an MCL injury), Dwight McNeil (knee surgery), Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, and Youssef Chermiti. Beto has been in form, scoring 7 goals at an average of one every 114 minutes.
Manchester United may see returns for Leny Yoro, Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer, but Amad Diallo is out for the season with an ankle injury, and Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount are also sidelined. Defensively, they’re missing Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, and Jonny Evans, but Victor Lindelof is available.
Possible lineups are:
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- Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Lindstrom, Gueye, Garner, Alcaraz, Harrison; Beto
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- Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Mazraoui, Maguire, De Ligt, Dorgu; Fernandes, Casemiro; Zirkzee, Hojlund, Garnacho
Prediction and Analysis
The prediction leans towards a 0-1 win for Manchester United, citing Everton’s historical struggles against them and United’s determination, despite Everton’s recent good form. This match is crucial for both teams, with Everton aiming to solidify their position and United looking to turn their season around.
Comprehensive Analysis and Detailed Report
The request for an article or blog post about the Everton vs Manchester United match on February 22, 2025, led to an extensive search for relevant pre-match content, given the match’s timing at 12:30 UTC (4:30 AM PST), which had not yet occurred at the time of this response (02:03 AM PST on the same day). The analysis below provides a detailed breakdown, including team form, historical data, team news, and predictions, drawing from multiple sources to ensure a thorough understanding.
Match Context and Scheduling
The match is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025, at Goodison Park, Liverpool, as part of the Premier League’s Gameweek 26, with a kick-off time of 12:30 UTC. This timing, corresponding to 4:30 AM PST, indicates it is a lunchtime kick-off in the UK, typical for Premier League scheduling. This will be Manchester United’s final visit to Goodison Park, as Everton is set to move to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock by the end of the current campaign, adding historical significance to the fixture.
Team Form and Recent Performance
Everton’s Resurgence Under David Moyes: Everton has experienced a remarkable turnaround since David Moyes returned to the helm. Previously under Sean Dyche, they managed only 3 wins in 19 games with 7 open-play goals. Under Moyes, in the last 6 games, they have secured 13 points, with 4 wins and 8 open-play goals, showcasing a revitalized attack. Their most recent match was a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace, where Carlos Alcaraz scored his debut goal for the club, marking their first counter-attack goal of the season. This form has lifted them above relegation concerns, now 13 points clear of the drop zone and 9 points from 8th place, which could offer European football, while being 13 points from the top 5 for Champions League qualification.
Manchester United’s Struggles: In contrast, Manchester United, under Ruben Amorim, has faced significant challenges. They have lost 8 of their last 12 league games, including 5 of their last 6 at home, with their most recent defeat being a 1-0 loss at Tottenham. Their attacking output has been particularly concerning, with Rasmus Hojlund going 15 games without a goal and Joshua Zirkzee 12 games without scoring. The team has failed to score in 10 different Premier League games this season, matching their joint-most in a single season (2004-05 and 2015-16), with 13 games remaining. This statistic underscores their offensive struggles, with only one first-half goal in their last 10 games, a Bruno Fernandes penalty against Brighton in January.
Historical Context and Head-to-Head Statistics
The head-to-head record shows Manchester United’s dominance in recent encounters. Over 39 matches, Manchester United has 56% wins (22 wins), Everton 21% wins (8 wins), and 9 draws (23%), with an average of 2.79 goals per game and both teams scoring in 46% of matches. Notably, Manchester United won their last meeting 4-0 on December 1, 2024, with an expected goals (xG) of 0.73 against Everton, highlighting Everton’s defensive frailty in that fixture. Everton has lost the last 5 meetings, with the last 4 by an aggregate score of 11-0, and hasn’t scored against United since a match in the late 1950s involving Wolves, adding a significant historical hoodoo to overcome.
Team News and Injury Reports
Everton: The team welcomes back Abdoulaye Doucoure from suspension, boosting their midfield options. However, they face several absences: Iliman Ndiaye is out for 6-8 weeks with an MCL injury, Dwight McNeil is sidelined post-knee surgery, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, and Youssef Chermiti are also out. Beto has been a standout performer, scoring 7 goals at an average of one every 114 minutes, providing a focal point for their attack.
Manchester United: There is potential for returns with Leny Yoro, Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer possibly available, which could strengthen their squad. However, Amad Diallo is out for the season with an ankle injury, a significant loss, and Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount are also sidelined. Defensively, they are missing Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, and Jonny Evans, but Victor Lindelof is available, offering some relief.
Possible Lineups
Based on the latest team news, the possible lineups are as follows:
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- Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Lindstrom, Gueye, Garner, Alcaraz, Harrison; Beto
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- Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Mazraoui, Maguire, De Ligt, Dorgu; Fernandes, Casemiro; Zirkzee, Hojlund, Garnacho
These lineups reflect the current injury situations and tactical preferences, with Everton likely to rely on Beto’s goal-scoring form and Manchester United hoping for contributions from Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.
Key Player Statistics
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- Everton: Dwight McNeil has created 9 big chances, while Beto averages 1.6 shots on target per match, underscoring their attacking threat.
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- Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes has created 10 big chances, but their forwards’ lack of goals remains a concern, with recent form showing only 5 goals in their last 5 matches compared to Everton’s 9.
Prediction and Betting Insights
The prediction from Sports Mole leans towards a 0-1 victory for Manchester United, citing Everton’s historical struggles against them and United’s need to turn their season around, despite Everton’s recent momentum. Additional betting insights from other sources, such as scores24.live, suggest Manchester United’s likelihood of not losing, with odds at -476, and over 1.5 goals in 12 of the last 13 Everton home games against United, with odds at -278. These predictions are based on advanced models simulating the match 10,000 times, giving Manchester United a 43.8% chance of winning, Everton 31.7%, and a draw 24.5%.
Comparative Table of Recent Form
To illustrate the teams’ current states, here is a table of their last 5 matches:
Team | Last 5 Results | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded |
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Everton | W 1-0 vs Crystal Palace, D 2-2 vs Liverpool, L 0-2 vs Bournemouth, W 4-0 vs Leicester, W 1-0 vs Brighton | 9 | 5 |
Manchester United | L 0-1 vs Tottenham, W 2-1 vs Leicester, L 0-2 vs Crystal Palace, W 2-0 vs FCSB, W 1-0 vs Fulham | 5 | 5 |
This table highlights Everton’s superior goal-scoring form recently, contrasting with Manchester United’s defensive solidity but offensive struggles.
Editorial and Analytical Notes
The analysis also considers referee impact, with Andy Madley officiating, averaging 4 yellow cards per match and 1 red card this season. Betting tips include Everton over 1.5 yellow cards, given their recent home match trends, and total corners under 10.5, reflecting both teams’ low corner counts in recent games. The historical context, combined with current form, suggests a tightly contested match, with Manchester United’s historical edge potentially tipping the scales.
Conclusion
This comprehensive preview encapsulates the current states of both teams, their historical encounters, and predictions for the match. Given the match’s timing, post-match reports will be available post-February 22, 2025, for further analysis. For daily previews and predictions, users can subscribe at Sports Mole.