Manchester United secured their first Premier League victory in three games with a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, thanks to the successful penalty kicks by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
Their win will undoubtedly boost their hopes of finishing in the top four this season.
Everton, on the other hand, have now gone 11 consecutive league games without a win and are currently 16th on the table with 25 points, five points above the relegation zone.
Despite the final result, Everton were the dominant team for long stretches of the game, with United’s midfield repeatedly giving away the ball.
Erik ten Hag’s team remained sixth on the table but are now closer to fourth-placed Aston Villa with 47 points and a game in hand.
Tottenham, who sit in fifth place with 50 points, have two games in hand and will host Villa on Sunday.
Both of United’s penalties came from clumsy tackles in the box on Alejandro Garnacho, who won them both.
The 19-year-old forward was proud of his performance, saying, “The manager wants me to go one V one, to shoot, to dribble. I won two penalties. It’s important. It’s like a dream with my age. A full Old Trafford stadium chanting my name is incredible. I am very proud and happy.”
Fernandes scored the first penalty in the 12th minute, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer from penalties with 29 conversions, surpassing former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 28.
United’s captain then handed the ball to Rashford to take the second penalty in the 36th minute.
Rashford stutter-stepped before sending Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford the wrong way.
Fernandes almost had a second goal with a beautiful free kick that Pickford had to leap high to bat away in the first half.
Garnacho almost had a goal of his own when Fernandes played him in in the second half, but he launched it just over the bar.
Everton had 23 shots to United’s 15 but squandered their chances with poor finishing touches, including a terrific late chance that saw Lewis Dobbin send a pass across goal that a sliding Dominic Calvert-Lewin was just a step too slow to connect with.
United were missing several key players, including Rasmus Hojlund, who had scored in six consecutive games before suffering a muscle injury that has sidelined him since he netted two in United’s 2-1 win at Luton Town on Feb. 18.
Despite the win, United still have a lot of work to do to secure a top-four finish this season.
“Every game we have to win, so every game is a must-need,” Ten Hag said. “We had to put this right and keep the pressure on the teams above us. There are many games to play. Now we are back. We will keep pressure on them and see what happens.”
