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Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo delivered another jaw-dropping performance, this time to help his side to a 1-0 victory over Everton.
United beat Everton
United made their way to the Hill Dickinson Stadium looking to get back to winning ways, having been held to a frustrating draw by West Ham in their previous outing.
Michael Carrick has yet to taste defeat since he was named interim head coach, and he stretched this run to six games as he led United to all three points against David Moyes’ men.
Like West Ham, Everton dug in and were buoyed by home advantage. They closed down the spaces and defended in a low block, aiming to frustrate United and pull off a massive upset. They came close a few times, but an inspired Senne Lammens had an answer for everything that was thrown at him.
United did not create many clear-cut opportunities, meaning they needed to make the limited chances they had count. Through substitute Benjamin Sesko, they certainly did just that.
Sesko produced a clever touch to lay the ball into the path of Luke Shaw, who then passed it on to Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian executed a sumptuous diagonal ball to Bryan Mbeumo, who beat Michael Keane in a foot race. Mbeumo then picked his moment before sliding it into the path of Sesko, who had covered so much ground and produced a fine finish into the bottom corner.
Everton pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, especially from set-pieces, but United stood firm and held on for all three points.
Yet again, Mainoo was a standout performer for the Red Devils.
Brilliant Mainoo
Mainoo has been in excellent form since Ruben Amorim was sacked and he regained his place in the team under Carrick.
While Bruno Fernandes was unusually quiet and Casemiro operated below his usual standard, Mainoo stood out on hostile territory. He offered whatever little calm and composure United had in the middle of the park.
The England international successfully found a United teammate with 49 of the 51 passes he attempted (96% individual pass accuracy). He pinged one long ball, finding his target with it.
He touched the ball 74 times and embarked on 13 carries, two of which were progressive.
Mainoo was solid defensively, making six contributions. He made three clearances and as many recoveries. He also blocked one shot.
The 20-year-old delved into nine ground duels, winning four of them. He came out on top in just one of the three aerial duels he contested.
| Passing Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Accurate passes | 49/51 (96%) |
| Passes in opposition half (acc…) | 29/29 (100%) |
| Passes in own half (acc.) | 20/22 (91%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Def. contributions | 6 |
| Tackles (won) | 2 (1) |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Blocked shots | 1 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Ground duels (won) | 9 (4) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 3 (1) |
| Touches | 74 |
| Was fouled | 2 |
| Carries | 13 |
| Progressive carries | 2 |
It was another statement display by Mainoo, who is simply flying at the moment.
United return to action on Sunday when they welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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