Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th club goal as Manchester United ended Everton’s two-game winning streak at Goodison Park.
It has been a disappointing season so far for Ronaldo, who has been thrust into a substitute role after failing to make his hoped-for summer move away from Old Trafford.
But introduced as a first-half substitute after Anthony Martial suffered another injury just three games into his return from the last one, Ronaldo raced through Casemiro’s ball and slotted home at the England man’s near post. Beats Jordan Pickford with a low drive.
It was the 37-year-old’s first goal at this ground since 2005 and was enough for United, who kept Everton at arm’s length when Alex Iwobi pounced on Casemiro’s early mistake to put the hosts in front.
Anthony became the first United player to score in his first three Premier League games when he equalized after being sent off by Martial.
The evening would have been more comfortable for the visitors if Marcus Rashford had not been disallowed a goal eight minutes from time for a handball and David De Gea denied Amadou Onana to seal victory. Took acrobatic clearance to keep.
Casemiro makes an impact.
If Ronaldo grabbed the headlines with a goalscoring return that was well received by the visitors, it was a mixed night for his former Real Madrid team-mate who has joined him at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hague has committed £70million to Casemiro, a huge deal his club will still be tied to when the Brazilian turns 35.
Given his price tag and experience, the midfielder’s absence from the Hammers last weekend at Manchester City was surprising. In the circumstances, handing him his first league start was a fairly straightforward decision for Ten Hague.
Yet, even at the age of 30, with so many honors to his name, Casemiro still has a lot to learn. In Spain, he may have been awarded a free-kick when he ran out from Onana’s through ball, resulting in Everton’s opener. Tonight, referee David Cote waved the game off.
Casemiro did not let the blow affect him.
He should have scored when he ran unmarked onto Rashford’s cross, slapping the turf in frustration as his header bounced wide. But he made amends with the through ball which saw Ronaldo race towards the Everton goal for his historic try.
Casemiro continued to contribute in a non-committal manner, taking the ball into tight spaces and releasing close passes.
However, he was out of possession more often than Ten Hague liked and towards the end, the United boss introduced Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane for extra defensive cohesion to see the game out.
Everton failed to capitalize on a perfect start.
It was a disappointing evening for the hosts, who had the chance to win three games in a row for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti’s spell at the club, in addition to jumping above both United and Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
They also could not have started better. Iwobi’s goal was a superb curling effort from 25 yards and owed much to Onana’s tenacity.
But Frank Lampard’s side lacked possession for long periods and when they did get the ball, too many errant passes cost them pace.
Demarai Gray’s free-kick in a promising position ran all the way across the penalty area and out for a goal-kick, and Anthony Gordon’s booking for a tackle on Bruno Fernandes from behind means he is on course for Saturday. will be suspended. A trip to Tottenham.
The return of Dominic Calvert-Lyon should at least provide another attacking focal point, although he will need to be handled carefully after his second long absence in 12 months.
