Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score his 700th club career goal as Manchester United recovered from falling behind to beat Everton 2-1.
Erik ten Hag, who handed a first Premier League start to Casemiro, saw his side start sloppily and they conceded the opener after the Brazilian gave the ball away and Alex Iwobi fired in a fine strike from distance.
But Frank Lampard’s men were sloppy for the rest of the half and the visitors punished a mistake from Idrissa Gueye, with Anthony Martial finding Antony to equalise.
Martial, who picked up a hip injury in the warm-up, was substituted around the half-hour mark for Ronaldo.
And the Portuguese forward gave the visitors the lead with a low drilled finish from Casemiro’s through-ball on the stroke of half-time for his milestone goal.
The second half was a largely scrappy affair with neither side finding their rhythm.
Lampard brought on Dominic Calvert-Lewin for his first appearance of the season, along with Dwight McNeil and debutant James Garner in the closing stages, but his side were unable to find an equaliser.
Marcus Rashford thought he had scored when he took advantage of a mistake from James Tarkowski but it was controversially ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up.
But United held on for the win which sees them climb to fifth in the table while the Toffees are 12th.
TALKING POINT:
Another weekend, another VAR controversy.
Rashford’s goal on 80 minutes was chalked off as he was adjudged to have handled the ball in the lead-up after Tarkowski recklessly slid in and mistimed his challenge. It looked a potentially harsh decision. Fortunately for the officials, United survived a flurry of corners at the end to return to winning ways.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Antony (Manchester United): While Jadon Sancho’s form has dipped, the Brazillian has impressed on the right flank. He took his goal well after running onto Martial’s through-ball, was a constant threat and his link-up play is improving.
PLAYER RATINGS
MAN UTD: De Gea 5, Lindelof 6, Martinez 6, Dalot 6, Shaw 5, Casemiro 6, Eriksen 6, Antony 8, Martial n/a, Fernandes 6, Rashford 6. Subs: Ronaldo 7, McTominay n/a.
EVERTON: Pickford 6, Tarkowski 7, Coady 6, Coleman 6, Mykolenko 5, Onana 5, Gueye 5, Iwobi 7, Gray 6, Gordon 5, Maupay 4. Subs: McNeil 5, Calvert-Lewin n/a, Garner n/a, Rondon n/a.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
5′ – GOAL FOR EVERTON! Gray finds the in-form Iwobi with a brilliant strike into the corner from around 20 yards.
14; – GOAL FOR UNITED! Martial on the half-turn finds Antony with a through-ball who dinks it over the keeper into the bottom corner.
42′ – WHAT A CHANCE! From Rashford’s floated cross, an unmarked Casemiro should score with a header from close range but puts it wide.
44′ – GOAL FOR UNITED! After a swift counter, Ronaldo hits a drilled shot with his left foot into the bottom corner for his 700th career club goal.
80′ – DISALLOWED GOAL FOR UNITED! Mistake from Tarkoswki from Ronaldo’s through-ball, Rashford takes it around Pickford and into an empty net. But VAR says it was a handball.
