Manchester United's promising five-match unbeaten streak came to a crashing halt on Monday night as they suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat against ten-man Everton at Old Trafford.
Red Card Chaos Fails to Spark United
The match took a bizarre turn when Everton's Idrissa Gana Gueye received an early red card for striking his own teammate, Michael Keane. Despite playing against ten men for the majority of the game, Ruben Amorim's side failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage.
United dominated possession and registered 25 shots throughout the match, but only managed six on target against an inspired Jordan Pickford in Everton's goal. In stark contrast, Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made their solitary shot on target count, curling home the winner that secured their first victory at Old Trafford since 2013.
De Ligt's Frank Assessment
Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt didn't hold back in his post-match analysis, describing the performance as "really bad" and emphasising the need for immediate improvement.
"I think today was a really bad night for us, especially the way we played against ten men," De Ligt stated. "We conceded one goal, we didn't create a lot of chances. I think overall just a really bad performance today."
The centre-back stressed the importance of unity ahead of their next fixture against Crystal Palace, saying "We have to bounce back from this performance... Now it's for us to come back, to stay together and to make clear what has to be better."
Milestone Moments at Old Trafford
The result marked a significant personal achievement for former United manager David Moyes, who secured his first Premier League victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager on his 18th attempt.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also celebrated his maiden victory at the historic ground, revealing that manager Moyes had challenged his players before the game to "stamp your authority and get a result."
"It's my first victory here," Pickford remarked. "It's a tough place to come, it's got a lot of history. The way we've trained this week, I think he's wanted this quite hard and we got our rewards."
The defeat leaves Manchester United with plenty to ponder before their Sunday trip to Crystal Palace, while Everton will host Newcastle United on Saturday evening riding high on their unexpected triumph.
