If it were not for Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, playing out of his skin in the opening 45 minutes at Old Trafford, Man United would’ve been out of sight.
On a sunny afternoon in Manchester, the Red Devils were on the front foot right up until the break, barely giving the Toffees time to breathe.
A single chance aside there was little for Sean Dyche and his team to get excited about, and given the bombardment they were up against, surely the Everton manager would’ve considered going in at half-time just 1-0 down as a win in itself.
Shots were flying in from every angle with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashdord, Antony and Scott McTominay all involved.
Perhaps the only surprise was that it was just the latter’s 36th minute opener which separated the sides as they headed back into the dressing rooms.
United were so impressive in their shot creation – if not their finishing – that they actually equalled their Premier League record for shots in the first half (21), something they last achieved in 2003/04 according to Opta.
21 – Manchester United have had 21 shots so far against Everton, their most on record (since 2003-04) in the first half of a single Premier League game, and the most by any side in the opening 45 minutes of a match this season. Peppered. pic.twitter.com/NGkk8uyLPS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 8, 2023
It was also the most by a team in this season’s Premier League and if there was any disappointment to be had, it was surely that the Red Devils were unable to add to McTominay’s solitary strike.