Honestly, if you missed the latest chapter of Man United vs Everton, you missed one of the most bizarre nights in modern Premier League history. Football is a strange game. Sometimes, tactical masterclasses decide things. Other times, it's just pure, unadulterated chaos. On November 24, 2025, we got the latter.
Most people expected a routine night for Ruben Amorim’s side. It was his one-year anniversary at the helm. The vibe at Old Trafford was celebratory. Then Idrissa Gueye slapped his own teammate, Michael Keane, and got sent off in the 13th minute.
You’d think Manchester United would cruise from there. They didn't.
Instead, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall—the man who has become a symbol of this new-look Everton under David Moyes (yes, he's back)—curled a screamer into the top corner at the 29-minute mark. Everton held on for a 1-0 win. With 10 men. For 80 minutes. It was their first win at the "Theatre of Dreams" since December 2013.
The Numbers That Don't Make Sense
If you look at the stats from that November clash, your brain might hurt. Man United finished with 70% possession. They peppered Jordan Pickford’s goal with 25 shots. Everton? They had three. Total.
Football isn't played on a spreadsheet, though.
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While United looked "dominant," they were actually remarkably blunt. Joshua Zirkzee, leading the line in the absence of Benjamin Sesko, had two massive chances late in the game. Pickford, who seems to save his most defiant performances for the biggest stages, clawed them away.
United's Expected Goals ($xG$) sat at 1.66 compared to Everton's measly 0.23.
In any other world, United wins that game 2-0 or 3-0. But Bruno Fernandes, usually the heartbeat of the team, struggled in a deeper role. He was caught ball-watching when Dewsbury-Hall surged forward for the goal. It was a lapse in concentration that ended up costing United a spot in the top four.
Historical Context: More Than Just a Game
The Man United vs Everton fixture is one of the oldest in the book. We're talking about two of the six clubs that have never been relegated from the Premier League since its 1992 inception.
Before this recent Everton shocker, United had been on a tear. They’d won six in a row against the Toffees, including a 4-0 thumping in December 2024 where Marcus Rashford looked completely reborn.
But history has a way of balancing itself out.
- Total Meetings: 215
- Man United Wins: 97
- Everton Wins: 71
- Draws: 48
Everton's win at Old Trafford wasn't just three points. It was a psychological breakthrough. For over a decade, Everton fans traveled to Manchester expecting the worst. They’d seen 23 losses in their last 34 trips there. To break that curse with 10 men? That's the stuff of folklore in the blue half of Liverpool.
Why Man United Struggles With Everton's Low Block
It's no secret. Amorim likes his 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1 variation). It relies on wing-backs like Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu providing width and service.
When Everton went down to 10 men, they didn't panic. They basically built a wall. James Tarkowski and Michael Keane—despite the early scuffle with Gueye—were immense. They made 12 clearances between them.
United's issue was the "U-shaped" possession.
They passed the ball from left to right, back to the middle, then left again. There was no verticality. Amad Diallo tried his best, creating the most chances of anyone on the pitch, but he was eventually moved to right wing-back to accommodate Mason Mount. That move actually made United less dangerous.
It's a recurring theme in Man United vs Everton games at Old Trafford. If United don't score early, the crowd gets anxious. The players start taking long shots. That's exactly what happened—United took a dozen shots from outside the box, and almost none of them troubled Pickford.
The "Teammate Slap" and the Power of Spite
We have to talk about Idrissa Gueye.
Getting sent off for violent conduct is bad. Doing it to your own center-back is next-level. The 13th-minute incident looked like it would bury Everton. Instead, it seemed to galvanize them.
Tarkowski mentioned after the match that the team showed "bravery and spirit." Basically, they played the rest of the game with a "us against the world" mentality. Even Gueye apologized in the dressing room, but by then, the 10 men on the pitch had already decided they weren't losing.
This is the beauty of the Man United vs Everton rivalry. It might not have the industrial vitriol of the Liverpool-United derby, but there's a deep-seated respect and a desperate need for Everton to prove they belong at the top table.
What You Should Keep an Eye On
If you're looking at the next time these two face off, don't just look at the league table. Everton is currently sitting around 11th, while United is hovering near 10th. They are closer in quality right now than the badge prestige suggests.
- Watch the Wing-Back Battle: If United can't find a way to get their wing-backs behind the Everton full-backs, they will struggle again.
- The Pickford Factor: Jordan Pickford averages more saves per game against United than almost any other "Big Six" opponent.
- Set Pieces: Everton’s primary way of hurting United remains the dead ball. Tarkowski and Calvert-Lewin (who almost scored a header late in the last game) are constant threats.
The 2025/2026 season has shown that the gap is closing. United’s dominance is no longer a given. For Everton, the goal is simple: stop being the "respectable loser" and start being the "problem team" again.
To stay ahead of the curve on this matchup, track the injury status of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt. United's defensive stability relies on them, but as we saw with Dewsbury-Hall’s goal, even world-class defenders can be skipped past if the midfield doesn't provide cover. Keep an eye on the disciplinary records too—this fixture has seen an uptick in red cards recently, averaging nearly one every three games in the last two seasons.