In the midst of a relegation battle it can be easy to simply give up hope and accept an imminent drop – especially in a division as tough as the Premier League. Alas, when Everton were faced with the prospect of a bottom three slip this past weekend, they refused to crumble and instead managed to secure a vital 1-0 win over Manchester United.
In the wake of such a triumph, we’ve decided to take a look at the game and pick through a few things we learned.
Everton dig deep
When they had to go in search of a goal, Everton were forward-thinking and impressive when forced to be a bit more creative than they have been in the weeks gone by. The Toffees also defended resiliently when called upon and didn’t try to play down to the level of their opponents, which is always a risk. All in all, it was the kind of win fans will likely look back on for many years to come – even if they won’t do the same for the entire campaign.
Poor United
Manchester United had most of the possession and more shots than the hosts – so why does it feel as if they may as well have not even bothered showing up? This team is littered with superstars but even Ralf Rangnick can’t get them playing in the way he desires. Every now and then they’ll get a morale-boosting win that makes you believe it’s all going to turn around, but that’s little more than falsehood.
Breathing space for the Toffees
As a result of Everton beating Manchester United and Norwich surprisingly beating Burnley, the gap between Frank Lampard’s men and the Clarets is now four points. That essentially eradicates the success Sean Dyche’s side had last week in their six-pointer but, as has to be the case for every game between now and the end of the season, Everton fans need to remember that anything can happen.
Oh, and this also isn’t a ‘get out of jail’ card for Lamps.
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