Manchester United will be eager to return to winning ways when they welcome Everton to Old Trafford on Monday.
The curtains will fall on Gameweek 12 of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Monday with Manchester United vs Everton. The two teams will lock horns at Old Trafford with the knowledge that a win will take Manchester United into the top four and Everton into the top half of the Premier League table.
Manchester United’s unbeaten run promises a bright future under Ruben Amorim, with the attackers making their mark in the final third. However, successive draws have showcased the team’s soft underbelly, as they conceded goals through schoolboy errors in those two games. So, the Red Devils will be eager to continue their streak by returning to winning ways on Monday.
As for Everton, David Moyes continues to help the Merseyside outfit turn things around after a few seasons of flirting with relegation from the Premier League. The Toffees may not be ready to push for European qualification season after season. Still, they will be in contention to finish in the top half of the Premier League table after a few promising results this term.
Manchester United cruised to a 4-0 win over Everton in the reverse fixture last season, with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee scoring braces. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United manager may be bereft of the services of as many as five first-team players vs Everton on Monday.
Benjamin Sesko is the latest absentee after picking up a knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur. The Slovenian international has joined Harry Maguire (hamstring) in the treatment room. Additionally, Lisandro Martinez has yet to regain enough sharpness to return from a long layoff. Meanwhile, Amorim has been sweating over the fitness of Kobbie Mainoo and Matheus Cunha, with the duo recovering from knocks.
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in the usual 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Everton on Monday. The central defensive unit will feature Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Luke Shaw. Meanwhile, Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will protect the centre-backs and provide width in the final third. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the centre of the pitch. Finally, Joshua Zirkzee will make a rare start as the central striker, with Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, de Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Mount; Zirkzee
Everton
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, David Moyes has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Everton manager will be without three first-team players on Monday.
Jarrad Branthwaite is the most notable absentee due to a hamstring injury, which will keep him on the sidelines for at least two more months. The English international accompanies Nathan Patterson (groin) and Merlin Rohl (hernia) in the treatment room.
Jordan Pickford will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Monday. The backline will feature Jake O’Brien, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past James Garner and Idrissa Gueye in the double pivot. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will reprise the no. 10 role, with Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish being the two wide attackers. Finally, Thierno Barry will lead the line for Everton against Manchester United on Monday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry
Key Stats
Manchester United have won 42 Premier League games vs Everton, the most wins any side has against another in the competition. On the other hand, the Toffees have won only one of their last 12 Premier League matches against Manchester United (D5 L6), a 1-0 home victory in April 2022. They have won just one of their 32 most recent clashes against the Red Devils at Old Trafford (D8 L23), 1-0 in December 2013.
Manchester United have won their four most recent Premier League home games, more than they had in their previous 13 at Old Trafford (W3 D2 L8). They last had a longer run between April and August 2023 (8).
Manchester United have opened the scoring, gone behind, but avoided defeat in their last two Premier League matches, drawing 2-2 with both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. They are the first team to do so in consecutive games since Manchester City in May/August 2012 (3-2 wins vs QPR and Southampton); no side has ever done so three successive times.
No team has scored more first-half goals than Manchester United in the Premier League this season (11), while only Arsenal and Crystal Palace (4 each) have conceded fewer before half-time (4). However, the Red Devils have let in more goals in the second half than any other side this term (14).
Only Brighton & Hove Albion (232) have applied more pressure in the opponents’ half per game than Everton (224) in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leads the way for total pressures in the opposition half this season among midfielders (503).
Player to Watch
Bryan Mbeumo
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While Bruno Fernandes, Jack Grealish, and Iliman Ndiaye were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bryan Mbeumo as the Player to Watch for Monday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford.
The Cameroonian international has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Manchester United player this season (6 – 5 goals, 1 assist). However, Everton are the only club Mbeumo has faced more than twice in the competition without registering a single goal or assist (8 games). With Matheus Cunha struggling with a knock, the former Brentford attacker will be the go-to man in the final third for Manchester United on Monday.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Everton
Manchester United will be wary of dropping further points and giving away the opportunity to return to the top four after playing out successive stalemates before the international break. A spirited Everton will threaten to continue that run of draws, taking the game to the home side.
However, the Red Devils have been on a roll at Old Trafford, and they will fancy their prospects of continuing their winning run at home. So, while Everton will not go down without a fight, Bryan Mbeumo will deliver the goods again in the final third to earn a narrow victory for the hosts. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ruben Amorim and his charges.