Now, Moyes is back at Goodison and has masterminded a remarkable turnaround since replacing Sean Dyche, winning four of his six league games in charge. The Toffees have picked up 13 points in that time, more than any other Premier League side, and their transformation has been particularly striking in attack, scoring 12 goals in their last five league matches—more than in their previous 16 combined.
Manchester United, by contrast, find themselves in dire straits. A 1-0 defeat at Tottenham last weekend marked their eighth loss in 12 league matches, and they currently sit in 15th place, one point behind Everton. With just 14 points from Ruben Amorim’s tenure so far, United’s season has been defined by inconsistency, and their struggles in front of goal have been particularly alarming. They have failed to score in 10 league games this season—only Everton (12) have blanked more times—and their shot conversion rate of 8.4% is their lowest in a single Premier League campaign since 2004-05.
Despite United’s struggles, history is firmly on their side in this fixture. They have won their last five Premier League meetings with Everton without conceding, including a 4-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford. They last lost at Goodison in April 2019, and a win here would give them three consecutive away victories at the ground for the first time since 2007. Everton, however, will take confidence from their recent form at home. They have scored at least twice in each of their last three league matches at Goodison, and Moyes has already beaten United twice this season while managing West Ham. His tactical discipline and ability to frustrate United’s attack could prove crucial once again, particularly given the visitors’ depleted squad.
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Both teams are dealing with significant injury concerns. Everton will welcome Abdoulaye Doucouré back from suspension, but key forward Iliman Ndiaye remains sidelined with a knee injury, and the Toffees are still without Dwight McNeil, Armando Broja, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Youssef Chermiti, Seamus Coleman, and Nathan Patterson. That leaves Beto as their primary attacking option, and he has thrived under Moyes, scoring four goals in his last three league appearances.
For United, Amorim is hoping for defensive reinforcements with Leny Yoro, Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer all in contention to return after minor setbacks. However, Amad Diallo has been ruled out for the rest of the season, while Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo remain unavailable. In defence, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw, and Jonny Evans are all missing, making a potential return for Yoro all the more important.
With Everton flying high under Moyes and United struggling to find any consistency, this fixture could prove pivotal for both teams. A win for the Toffees would push them further away from any lingering relegation concerns, while another defeat for United would pile further pressure on Amorim as their top-half hopes continue to fade.