Manchester United will be looking to improve on their worst ever start to a Premier League season when they visit Everton today.
Jose Mourinho’s men have taken just 20 points from their 13 matches and have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches.
The United boss will be back in the dugout after missing the midweek victory over West Ham in the EFL Cup after a one-match ban from the FA and is expecting a tough game against the Toffees.
“I managed against Martinez’s Everton, Moyes’ Everton and it is always difficult,” Mourinho told a pre-match press conference.
“It is always beautiful with a great crowd and a great stadium. I had so many great matches there. Some I lost, some I won, but always a great match. The way United is playing, combined with the way Everton always try to play means it should be a very good match.”
Confidence could be an issue in the Everton camp considering they’ve only won one of their last nine games in all competitions. However, they are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games at Goodison Park, winning five of those.
United captain Wayne Rooney will be suspended for today’s game against his boyhood club after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the midweek EFL Cup win over West Ham.
Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini are back in contention after serving one-game bans of their own, but Luke Shaw is a doubt with an unspecified injury, while Eric Bailly (knee) and Chris Smalling (toe) remain absent.
Ronald Koeman says he will face a tough decision when it comes to choosing his team with everyone but long-term absentee Muhamed Besic available for selection.
Everton have lost four of their last five meetings with Manchester United in all competitions (W1), with the most recent of those defeats coming in the FA Cup semi-final last season.
Manchester United have won at Goodison Park on 15 occasions in the Premier League; at no other away venue have they won more often in competition history.
Romelu Lukaku has played for Everton on six occasions in the league against Manchester United without scoring; his most against one team without finding the net for the Toffees.
No duo has created more chances for each other in the Premier League this season than Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (16).
Everton have outrun their opponents on just one occasion this season (vs Swansea); a league-low.
