Manchester United lost their grip on the top spot on the table just before the international break. Now they’ve got an always-difficult trip to Goodison Park to face Everton as they try to rebound from a brutal loss to Arsenal.
Manchester United vs. Everton 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Red Devils lost their grip on first place before the break, but a road win against Everton could help propel them back into it.
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Matches against Everton have long been testy for Manchester, especially since they swiped Wayne Rooney away from the Blues over a decade ago. That dislike is made more intense thanks to some sidewash from United’s rivalry with Liverpool, and has become even more pronounced since United bought Marouane Fellaini two years ago.
Goodison Park is never a pleasant place for most teams to play, but add emotion to the picture and it can be a truly difficult experience, though one that Manchester have generally gotten the better of. Still, this won’t be an easy match, especially with Everton looking to pull closer to the top four -- they’re just two points behind fourth-place Crystal Palace, and Everton are eager to hold onto a Champions League place and prove they can play with the big boys.
While Everton aren’t winning the title this season, no matter what folks in nice jackets might suggest, they definitely look like they have a strong chance to finish in the European qualification places in the Premier League table for the first time in awhile. A win over Manchester United right now would go a long ways towards legitimizing that chance, and Roberto Martinez always has his team up for matches with big stakes like this one.
Key player -- Ross Barkley (Everton)
Barkley has had a frustrating season for Everton. This was supposed to be the year that he didn’t just break out -- he was supposed to explode into superstardom. Instead he’s -- fine. He’s not bad, but he’s also not really all that great, either. The biggest problem he’s had in the final third: he’s too often overlooked key passes to teammates in dangerous places, in favor of dribbling deeper into the box or taking a shot himself. Neither of those have been very useful very often this season. If he can flip the switch and start doing the things he needs to again, though -- Manchester United will be in a big pile of trouble.
Key Matchup -- James McCarthy (Everton) vs. Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)
A few dinged-up midfielders means that Fellaini is very likely to play against his old club, and the afroed Belgian will be eager to put on a good showing in front of his one-time home crowd. The man who will be aiming to spoil his day will be the same man who replaced him in McCarthy, and their battle should be an interesting one to watch play out. They play similar roles in midfield, but with very different styles, so their clash of techniques is always interesting to watch unfold.
Everton injuries and suspensions
Out: Muhamed Besic, Tom Cleverley, Leighton Baines, Tony Hibbert, Steven Pienaar In doubt: John Stones
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Patrick “Paddy” McNair In doubt: Michael Carrick, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Wayne Rooney, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo
Manchester have a number of players injured right now, but their health situation is actually improving, especially in defense where things were pretty dire for a few weeks. Everton, though, are badly battered in defense and really don’t have the depth to cope, especially if Stones can’t play or is significantly off his best form.
Match Date/Time: Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local
Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England
TV: NBCSN (US), Sportsnet regional networks (Canada)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (US), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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