Manchester United defeated Everton 3-0 on their return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon.
There was no room for complacency against an Everton side looking to bounce back from their recent 10-point deduction and United made the perfect start to the game through a breathtaking Alejandro Garnacho goal.
Garnacho scored a stunning overhead kick in just the second minute and that set the tone for United, who always appeared to be the most likely winners after taking an early lead.
Everton did create chances, but they were wasteful and youngster Kobbie Mainoo was impressive. The 18-year-old was given his full Premier League debut at Goodison Park and he was arguably man of the match.
Marcus Rashford scored a penalty in the second half to make it 2-0 and Anthony Martial scored in the latter stages to add the icing on the cake.
United are now just six points adrift of the top of the league table, despite making an awful start to the season.
Mainoo gives United what they have not had all season
Perhaps Erik ten Hag will stay in the stands. This was the most impressive Manchester United away-day victory on his watch and a timely warm-up act ahead of a white-hot atmosphere in Istanbul on Wednesday.
United have now triumphed in their last four on the road in the Premier League and find themselves six points off first. They are approaching a month without a crisis in a season that has been littered with them.
Such are the vagaries of football, United performed better in Copenhagen, the scene of their most recent damaging defeat, than at Goodison Park. They led at the pause without actually creating a chance.
Ten Hag, serving a touchline ban for collecting three yellow cards, will have sifted nervously during the first 45 minutes. Unlike the four sides who put United to the sword on their own patch, Everton reprieved United. They had nearly enough chances to equal the 13 goals United sieved at Copenhagen, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Yet United ran out 3-0 winners, their first league victory by more than a one-goal margin all season. The second half descended into such a procession that Anthony Martial, the scourge of Everton since he was first pitted against them in October 2015, dinked in his ninth goal against the club in 17 appearances.
United were deprived of Rasmus Hojjlund and Antony, £157.3million worth of talent. No forward had scored in the league since Marcus Rashford on Setpember 3. At Everton, three did, including Rashford.
