Manchester United were lucky that Everton were unable to score during the weekend. Sean Dyche addressed his team’s lack of efficiency in front of goal at the press conference before the match and encouraged his players to be more precise, but they were unable to find the back of the net at Old Trafford. Everton has only scored 29 goals in the league this season, with only Sheffield United and Burnley scoring fewer goals. Dyche’s team has strong statistics, but they struggle to score goals in key moments, which is why they were unable to win against Manchester on Saturday. This has been a common theme throughout Everton’s challenging season, as well as United’s tendency to allow too many opportunities for their opponents. They allowed 23 shots against Everton, marking the fourth out of their last five Premier League games where they have allowed 20 or more shots. Additionally, three players are set to return for their upcoming match against Liverpool. United fans are satisfied because they have obtained Malacia. United won 2-0 against Everton, despite placing a heavy workload on Andre Onana. Any competent visiting team would have capitalized on their opportunities, making the outcome of the game different. Surprisingly, Erik ten Hag defended United against criticism of conceding too many chances in his post-match media statements. When questioned about the sustainability of the number of shots United were giving opponents, Ten Hag stated that they have been doing it consistently in many previous games. He also pointed out that the opponents’ expected goals (xG) were not particularly high compared to theirs. It is their strategy. We have players who are confident in their ability to defend in a low position.
Â
