Manchester United vs Everton Picks and Predictions: Red Devils Roll the Toffees

Friday’s clash between northwestern foes Manchester United and Everton could have repercussions that go far beyond simply deciding who advances in the 2022-23 FA Cup. The Toffees could see the end of manager Frank Lampard’s time at the helm, regardless of the outcome. 

Both sides enter the competition during the third round of play. The Red Devils have taken victory in their last four matches, including three matches since resuming play after the World Cup. They’ve yet to concede a goal since the restart, and Marcus Rashford has also found the back of the net in each of those outings.

Will Everton rally to save their manager’s job with a monumental upset? Or will United condemn him to likely unemployment and begin a potential march toward their first FA Cup trophy since 2016? We dive into that and more in our Manchester United vs. Everton picks and predictions for January 6. 

Manchester United vs Everton odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of January 5, 2023.

Manchester United vs Everton picks and predictions

It’s taken some time, but Manchester United finally look like the powerhouse their fans expect them to be. Under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, they now look like a team rather than a compilation of big transfers and underwhelming performances.

Much of their turnaround has coincided with the settling-in of holding midfielder Casemiro. The Brazilian has put in a series of masterclass sessions of late, including in their 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the start of the week, in which he opened the scoring. In their three matches since the restart, the midfielder has won possession at least six times in each contest and has been terrific in quelling any danger heading the other way.

His brilliance has allowed United to do two important things. First, it’s enabled ten Hag to rest Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as they returned from playing in the World Cup final. Casemiro has been able to help protect the weakness that is Harry Maguire and prevent him from being exposed by pace. Secondly, his ability to regain possession quickly and bring the ball forward has given United chances to hurt teams looking to hit the Red Devils on the counter-attack before they can get reorganized.

Rashford has been the primary beneficiary of this. Casemiro’s terrific interception late against Nottingham Forest led to the third goal as he found Rashford cutting into the box. It was also his dribble up the pitch that helped start the sequence that led to Rashford scoring the winner against Wolves. 

Why is this important? Because Everton’s right side of defense has been a real weakness since the restart. Wolves were able to exploit them down that flank in their 2-1 win, and Jack Grealish of Manchester City drew numerous fouls on the left-hand side in their shock 1-1 draw. And this week, Brighton tore them apart repeatedly, as five of Brighton’s eight key passes within 30 yards of goal originated on the left.

Everton has lost five of their last six matches in all competitions, and four of those were by two or more goals. The last three on the road saw them lose by multiple goals twice, and even in their draw with Man City, they lost the xG battle 1.79 to 0.09 as the Citizens simply couldn’t put efforts on target.

It is unlikely that United will rotate for this match, given they have an EFL Cup match coming up before they face Man City and Arsenal. Ten Hag wants to win silverware, and this could be their best opportunity to do so. 

United are flying high, will have the bulk of their squad available, and are unlikely to show any mercy to an Everton side simply struggling at the moment. United have won seven straight at Old Trafford, and six of those have been by multiple goals.

Take the favorites to win by at least two goals in what could very well be the end of Lampard’s time in Merseyside. 

My best bet: Manchester United -1.5 (+120 at DraftKings)

Manchester United vs Everton side analysis

It’s expected that United will see Varane and Martinez return to the defense, with Maguire and Lindelof dropping to the bench. United should also have Anthony Martial available, despite him coming off with a knock against Bournemouth.

Everton will be without Mathan Patterson after he injured his knee against Brighton. However, they will see the return of Amadou Onana after he served a suspension, and Anthony Gordon should be recovered from illness as well.

That said, Everton’s strongest lineup simply doesn’t match up well with that of United. The Red Devils have shown no issues of late with picking apart teams that want to sit back, with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings. United have outscored their opponents 7-0 since the restart, while Everton have been outscored 7-3 in that span. 

Everton has just one victory in their last 11 matches, with eight defeats during that timeframe. They’ve gone six straight without an away win, having been shut out in four of those outings. United have won seven straight in all competitions at Old Trafford, with six clean sheets in the process.  

Manchester United vs Everton Over/Under analysis

United have been dominant at home since the start of October. They’ve won eight of nine in all competitions with a draw to Newcastle — the only match where they’ve failed to score. They’ve scored multiple goals in six of those matches, with four of the last six seeing three or more total goals netted.

Everton have conceded multiple goals in three of their last six road games overall. However, in those six away tilts, they've only scored twice. Two or fewer goals have been scored in seven of their 11 matches away from Goodison Park this year.

Three of the last meetings between these two at Old Trafford have seen fireworks. The last time they met was at Goodison Park in October, where United won 2-1. 

Manchester United vs Everton game info

Manchester United vs Everton key injuries

Manchester United: Antony F (Doubtful), Anthony Martial F (Probable), Donny van der Beek M (Doubtful).
Everton: Andros Townsend F (Doubtful), Anthony Gordon F (Questionable), Michael Keane D (Out).

Manchester United vs Everton recent form

Teams	Last five matches
Manchester United	W-W-W-W-W
Everton	L-D-L-L-L

Manchester United vs Everton weather

It will be a chilly and possibly wet evening in Manchester. Rain isn’t expected until after the match ends, but it could show up if the match goes to extra time. Temperatures will be in the low 40s, but there shouldn’t be much wind. 

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