Calvert-Lewin to crank up pressure on Ole
High-flying Everton welcome Manchester United to Goodison Park for Saturday's lunchtime Premier League kick-off. Both sides have lost twice in the space of a week, and neither will want to make that a third. Playmaker James Rodríguez should be back from the sidelines to star for the Toffees, whilst with the visitors, it's really a question of which team will turn up - the ones to deservedly beat Paris Saint-Germain in their own backyard, or the ones who have forgotten the art of defending? Either way, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be looking to pounce. Read our preview here:
Midfield matters
The previous two league matches have taken some of the sheen off what had hitherto been an almost perfect start by Carlo Ancelotti's men. Séamus Coleman's absence at right-back has hurt what had otherwise been a solid backline by recent standards, and moreover, the forced changes to an enviable midfield trio have similarly disrupted their collective rhythm. Fabian Delph's versatility is a major plus, but it's no easy task covering for André Gomes. That said, he'll be a good counter-balance to Mason Greenwood down the left half-space, and he still has the passing ability to break through any press from the opposition's own engine room. Lucas Digne's suspension was reduced to a single game, so he'll be back to provide plenty of crossing opportunities for Calvert-Lewin to best Harry Maguire aerially for. The former continues his amazing start to the campaign, and his movement could have the United central defensive duo on the back foot for much of the game.
Martial law
Similarly to the side as a whole, which Anthony Martial is going to be present in the blue half of Liverpool on Saturday? The one that remains a class act on the big stage (especially in the Champions League), or the one whose petulance and reluctance to shoot has cost his employers dearly domestically in 2020/2021? Everyone knows the attacking three behind him don't lack for effort (and usually serve up much more), but it's hard to overemphasise that the flow of the match when the Red Devils are in and out of possession will be dictated by the very spearpoint of their attack. Alex Iwobi and James are likely to drop off when the hosts are turned over, so the thrusts forward that Ole Gunnar Solskjær's charges mount will require the French striker to be an active participant in order to cut through vertically.
Toffee sauce
The visitors have only kept two clean sheets in the competitions their manager and fans care about the most this season. Both individually and collectively, there isn't anyone in that back four (possibly even five, given goalkeeper David De Gea's recent displays) that other sides with both eyes firmly fixed on the top four would swap with their own. Whilst that in and of itself isn't a gamebreaker with an attack that contains Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, and Marcus Rashford, it does highlight that there is going to continue to be a dysfunction between the two. One can 'save' the other, and both can be in harmony, but it's likely that with only a manager of considerable more acumen that Solskjær has displayed can create a more consistent synthesis. Some of the defending in the defeat to İstanbul Başakşehir was, to put it bluntly, comical, and Everton can inflict far more misery if United aren't disciplined in all areas. Betfair are offering juicy odds for Calvert-Lewin to bag two or more goals on his home turf at 8.50.
