Ronaldo reaches another landmark to fire Man United to win at Everton

Cristiano Ronaldo stepped off the bench to earn Manchester United a 2-1 victory at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, taking his career goal tally to 700 in the process.

Published : Oct 10, 2022 02:10 IST

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal with Antony and Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal with Antony and Bruno Fernandes. | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
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Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal with Antony and Bruno Fernandes. | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Cristiano Ronaldo stepped off the bench to earn Manchester United a 2-1 victory at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, taking his career goal tally to 700 in the process.

Just as it did last weekend in its derby mauling at the hands of local rival Manchester City, United found itself behind early on at Goodison Park after Alex Iwobi curled a sublime strike into the net from 20 metres.

The visitor, however, responded much better this time around and soon levelled things up as big-money signing Antony slotted home, the Brazilian becoming the first United player to score in his first three Premier League appearances.

Substitute Ronaldo then entered the fray unexpectedly early after Anthony Martial picked up an injury and took only 14 minutes to score his first Premier League goal of the season, his 144th for United across two spells.

Marcus Rashford thought he had made doubly sure of a fifth win in six league games for the visitors late on but his effort was ruled out after a VAR review for handball against the England forward.

Everton never really looked like finding a late equaliser as United held on for a victory that moved them up to fifth on 15 points, nine adrift of leaders Arsenal, while Everton's first loss in seven league matches leaves them 12th on 10 points.

“It is tough still counting goals for Ronaldo because every week seems like a new record,” fellow Portugal international Bruno Fernandes told the media.

“I am really happy because he has been working hard to get this goal. Today he got the goal and the win and that is the most important for him, that the team won.”

EVERTON IMPROVEMENT

Everton has improved of late, winning its previous two league games after only one victory in its 10 before that, with the confidence oozing as it took the game to United.

Alex Iwobi is enjoying a fine season in the heart of the Everton midfield, having previously played as a winger, scoring his first-ever Premier League goal from outside the box to nearly lifting the roof off a damp Goodison.

Defensive errors, however, are still all too prevalent at Everton, with Idrissa Gueye caught on the ball by Fernandes, before Martial fed Antony for United’s well-worked equaliser.

Other than Iwobi’s fine strike, Everton did not muster another attack in the opening period, with United’s Christian Eriksen and Martial denied by smart saves from Jordan Pickford.

Martial’s match did not last much longer, though, as he was replaced by Ronaldo, limping off after picking yet another injury in a frustrating season.

Ronaldo’s crucial strike had a familiar feel to it as his former Real Madrid teammate Casemiro, making his first Premier League start, slotted him through, and the 37-year-old’s powerful strike did the rest.

United had chances to add to its total after the break, but Eriksen and Rashford fired off target from good positions.

Buoyed by its VAR reprieve, Everton did threaten the United goal, with substitute and former United midfielder James Garner denied by an athletic De Gea save.

However, the visitor saw out the 100th Premier League game it has won after conceding the first goal - the most such wins in the competition’s history.

“It was disappointing because we had been moving in the right direction,” Everton manager Frank Lampard told the media.

“United had good possession and moved the ball well. There’s a lot I can reflect on in the game but when you look at it in the cold light of day it was two of our mistakes that led to goals.”

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