PAYING THE PENALTY
Man Utd 2 Everton 0: Fernandes and Rashford both score from the penalty spot as Garnacho runs Toffees ragged
Man Utd had one man to thank for the win
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IF every cloud has a silver lining, for Everton that means they don’t have to face Alejandro Garnacho again this season.
The bad news is that the damage Manchester United’s brilliant Argentine has already inflicted may mean they don’t get a crack at him next term either.
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In November it was Garnacho’s rabbit-out-of-the-hat flying scissors kick that set United on the way to a 3-0 Goodison romp.
This time it was his dancing feet which tempted two lunging legs into two rash challenges that ended in two spot kicks.
Both were clinically drilled into the bottom corner of Jordan Pickford’s net, and Everton – for all the territory they enjoyed and chances they created – were finished.
After each penalty was dispatched, first by Bruno Fernandes and then Marcus Rashford, Pickford bounced back up to berate his defenders.
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The Everton keeper had every right to do so as well. On both occasions the Goodison guilty party had been suckered into it.
First it was James Tarkowski, throwing out a foot and clipping Garnacho’s heel when the winger chopped back inside. You could see it coming a mile away.
Then, when he danced across and into the box, Ben Godfrey could contain himself no longer, stuck out a leg and stamped on the United winger's heel.
Again referee Simon Hooper pointed to the spot, again the Everton defender raged and again the decision was spot on.
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After Fernandes drilled the first to Pickford’s left, this time Rashford took over and stuttered, staggered and then stroked his kick in the opposite direction.
While Tarkowski wisely kept his counsel after his clanger, Godfrey ranted at the official and got a yellow card to add to his woes.
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Nothing, you suspect, to the ear-bashing both of them will have copped back in the dressing room from an apoplectic Pickford.
To be fair it could have been even worse for him and Everton, as Vitaliy Mykolenko made almost as many saves as the Toffees keeper.
The claims denied when he knocked a low cross behind with a trailing arm – as you may guess, from a Garnacho cross – were fair enough. He was sliding back and it would have been harsh.
Yet the one which saw him escape when the ball struck BOTH arms as he fell in trying to handle Casemiro’s chip was less understandable.
It was as nifty a bit of handling as we’ve seen at Old Trafford since last year’s Super League Grand Final. Everton can expect the bids from St Helens and Hull KR any day.
Mind you, the way the Toffees were spewing the openings they created meant it was never really likely to matter.
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Dwight O’Neil shaved a post, James Garner stung Andre Onana’s hands and Amadou Onana blazed a sit-up-and-smash-me ball horribly high.
All of which left United still in the scrap for that top four finish, and Everton in an even deeper one for survival. And you wouldn’t back either with confidence to win them.
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