Everton vs Manchester United: Match Preview
David Moyes returns to face his former club this afternoon as Everton host Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with kick-off set for 2pm BST on Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
Form Guide
Everton head into this match with two wins and two draws from their last five outings across all competitions, with their most recent Premier League game ending 1-1 against Bournemouth after a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. That run has been built on defensive solidity — the Toffees have scored nine goals across those five matches while conceding just twice, a pattern that reflects Moyes’s typically well-organised approach. Everton currently sit tenth in the table with four points from their opening two matchdays, having taken a win and a draw so far this season.
Manchester United’s recent record is less settled, with two wins, one draw, and two defeats in their last five games. Their most recent result was an emphatic 5-2 Premier League win over Ipswich Town, though that followed a 2-0 league defeat to Hull City. United have scored ten goals across those five matches but conceded nine — a pattern reflecting a side that can hurt teams in attack but remains vulnerable defensively. Michael Carrick’s side sit 12th in the league, having lost their opener before bouncing back against Ipswich.
Team News
Everton’s squad has been thinned by departures, with Iliman Ndiaye joining Manchester City and Beto also leaving the club, while a move for Folarin Balogun collapsed. On the plus side, Jack Grealish could make his first Everton start after arriving on loan from Manchester City, expected to line up on the left of a 4-2-3-1 with Brennan Johnson on the right and Thierno Barry leading the line. Moyes has made one change from the Bournemouth draw, handing Johnson his first Premier League start of the campaign. Christian Nørgaard is unavailable, and the right-back slot remains a genuine toss-up between Merlin Röhl and Jake O’Brien.
Manchester United are expected to stick close to the side that thrashed Ipswich, with Senne Lammens in goal behind a back four of Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez and Luke Shaw — though Shaw’s fitness is subject to a late check. Carrick still has several injury concerns, and Benjamin Šeško is continuing to build up his fitness rather than being fully ready to start.
Speaking ahead of the match, Moyes addressed Everton’s summer transfer window, saying he was “disappointed we didn’t do more business, disappointed things didn’t go our way in the end.”
Head-to-Head and Prediction
Manchester United hold a commanding lead in the overall head-to-head record with seven wins to Everton’s one, along with two draws, and won the most recent meeting 1-0. That earlier fixture came in February 2026 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Market pricing makes Manchester United the slight favourites, with an implied win probability of roughly 43%, despite Everton’s marginally stronger underlying numbers this season. Everton’s compact defensive shape — conceding just once in two league games while scoring three — points to a tight, competitive contest, but United’s superior head-to-head record and firepower give them the narrow edge on paper.
Expect a cagey opening with Moyes setting his side up to frustrate United, before quality further forward — particularly from Bruno Fernandes and United’s front line — proves decisive in the closing stages.