Zierkzy Sparks Manchester United's Frontline Against Everton

Lineups and expectations

Manchester United host Everton at Old Trafford in Week 12 of the Premier League, with Joshua Zierkzy leading the line as the standout attacker for the home side. Zierkzy steps in to cover for missing teammates, flanked by Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo in a setup designed to unlock a stubborn Everton defense.

Starting XI for United: Goalkeeper: Lemins; Defence: De Ligt, Yuro, Shaw; Midfield: Mazraoui, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dordjo; Attack: Diallo, Zierkzy, Mbeumo. Everton’s lineup: Goalkeeper: Pickford; Defence: Kulliman, Tarkowski, Keane, Mikolenko; Midfield: Garner, Jaye, Dusbury Hall; Attack: Ndai, Bari, Girlish.

The hosts sit 10th with 18 points, three points behind Villa in fourth, while Everton are 15th with 15 points. A big win could lift United into the top four, but recent results have shown both resilience and fragility as they chase consistency this season.

Historical context and key narratives

Historically, Manchester United have enjoyed a commanding edge over Everton in the Premier League, boasting 42 wins against the Toffees. Everton’s last league win over United came in April 2022 at Goodison Park, and on the road to Old Trafford they have struggled, with only one victory in their last 32 visits dating back to December 2013.

United have shown recent home strength, recording four consecutive Premier League wins at Old Trafford, a stretch that surpasses their previous home form. Yet the team’s pattern this season has included moments of vulnerability, particularly in the second half as they try to protect leads during demanding stretches of the campaign.

Everton, meanwhile, rely on a high-intensity pressing approach. They have used a relatively small squad this season, with an average starting XI that skews older (around 28 years and 190 days), and they sit among the more active pressing teams in the league, especially in the opposition half, where they attempt around 224 presses per game, second only to Brighton.

Midfield engine Kieran Dusbury Hall leads the way in Premier League pressing in the attacking third with 503 presses. Despite Everton’s physical approach, their attacking output remains inconsistent, while United’s Bryan Mbeumo has been a key source of goals and assists this season, even if his scoring record against Everton remains a curious stat given eight prior league meetings without a goal or assist against them.

Jack Griilish (Griilish) had a dazzling start to the campaign, earning Player of the Month in August after creating four goals from his first three games. Since then, he has created 19 additional chances in seven matches, without translating them into goals for his teammates. Monday-night fixtures have also proved challenging for Everton, with a winless run on Monday evenings since December 2021 against Arsenal; their recent run extends to ten consecutive Monday fixtures without a win since 2016.

Away from home, Everton have faced even tougher odds, with a string of Monday fixtures without victory extending back to 2016. This match will test United’s capacity to apply pressure for 90 minutes, while Everton aim to capitalize on transition moments and set-piece opportunities in a bid to upset the home crowd.

Two light-hearted notes to close: first, if goals were a sniper’s job, Zierkzy’s movement would be the kind that makes goalkeepers reach for a safety net. Second, if Everton’s plan relied on a perfectly-timed counter, the joke would be on the scoreboard operator—sometimes the clock seems to run faster for the visiting side than the ball does for their attackers.