MANCHESTER (Reuters) - Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial secured a well-earned 2-0 victory over Everton as the hosts climbed above Newcastle United into provisional third spot in the Premier League on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s United are in the thick of the race to finish in the top four, with 56 points from 29 games, three ahead of Newcastle, who have a game in hand, and six more than Tottenham Hotspur, with those sides playing later on Saturday.
The defeat for Sean Dyche’s Everton, who are battling to avoid relegation, leaves them in 16th spot, outside the drop zone only on goal difference and level on 27 points with Nottingham Forest in 17th place and Bournemouth who are 18th.
“It was great football from ourselves and we were disappointed to only go in (at halftime) 1-0 up,” United captain Harry Maguire told BT Sport. “The game should have been gone.
“The lads started on the front foot, we were aggressive, we created chance after chance after chance and I think if the score was three, four or five nobody would have any arguments.”
United pressed goalkeeper Jordan Pickford into duty early at a sun-drenched Old Trafford and set up camp in Everton’s half for most of the game.
They could have got on the board in the 12th minute when Antony’s shot rebounded off the post to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who missed an easy tap-in, sending the ball wide of the far post.