- Recent form: Everton are unbeaten in 1 home game (1 win) and have taken 4 points from 2 games at the start of the Premier League 2026/2027.
- Away form: Manchester United have won 0, drawn 0 and lost 1 of their 1 away games in the Premier League 2026/2027, conceding an average of 2.00 goals per game on the road.
- Last 5 matches: Everton have won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 matches, while Manchester United have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5.
Everton vs Manchester United – a control vs counter battle
Form and recent results
Everton are 4th in the Premier League 2026/2027 standings after a strong start to the season and David Moyes' Toffees have been tough to beat since the 11th January 2025. Everton will try to set up a counter vs control battle on Sunday when the 16th-placed (and point-less) Red Devils come to town.
The Toffees have won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 and head into this game undefeated (1 win, 0 draws, 0 defeats) with 2.00 goals scored and 0.00 goals conceded per game. Everton's last 2 results were a 4-0 away win over Preston North End in the EFL Cup and a 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth in the Premier League. In the former, Moyes' side showed their ability to break down opposition with a clinical performance, while the latter demonstrated their ability to shut up shop and play with discipline.
Tactics and key players
Moyes' team are typically set up in a 4-5-1 / 4-2-3-1 formation, but have become a little more direct than the average Premier League 2026/2027 side under his stewardship. Thierno Barry is Everton's hottest finisher, with 5 goals in 5 games for a team that have scored 10. However, with James Tarkowski leading the line with 1 goal in 2 Premier League 2026/2027 games, Moyes' Toffees can certainly sting on the break.
Carrick’s United will look to control the game
Michael Carrick, who was appointed as the Red Devil's head coach on the 13th January 2026, is yet to get United firing on all cylinders and the visitors are already under pressure with 0 points from 1 Premier League 2026/2027 game.
The former United player relies on central overloads and asymmetric full-back movements to create a vertical game where he tries to isolate attackers in 1-v-1 situations, rather than looking to press continuously.
- United have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5, including a 2-match losing streak of results.
- The Red Devils drew 1-1 with Leeds United (friendly), before losing 4-2 to AC Milan (friendly) and 2-0 to Hull City in the Premier League 2026/2027.
- Carrick has set United up in a nominal 4-2-3-1 shape, but which morphs into a 3-2-4-1 / 3-1-5-1 in possession.
An intense match is likely
The bookmakers have Manchester United as 2.3 favourites, ahead of Everton at 2.92 and the draw at 3.4. These prices seem incorrect for what should be a tight match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, England.
Everton's disciplined mid-block, fast transition counters and Moyes' attempts to improve ball progression and flair mean that this will be a control versus counter battle on Sunday.
Both teams to score looks live at 1.6 and under 2.5 goals at 2.05 is also a fit for what could be a tense and cagey match, but we think the Toffees have enough in the tank to make this a battle.
