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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Man Utd bounce back as Cristiano Ronaldo steals the show at Everton - 5 talking points

Manchester United responded to their derby day mauling by picking up three points as Cristiano Ronaldo offered a reminder of what he can offer at Goodison Park.

The Portuguese star came off the bench to score the 700th club goal of his career as the Red Devils completed a first-half turnaround after falling behind early on. Alex Iwobi ignited the Goodison Park crowd with a stunning curling effort in the first five minutes.

The hosts didn't lead for long as Antony continues to justify his mammoth fee by becoming the first United player to score in his first three Premier League outings. The Brazilian neatly slotted past Jordan Pickford after being set up by Anthony Martial. And it was the Frenchman's premature exit that saw Ronaldo enter the fray.

The forward was set away by Casemiro, making his first league start, shortly before the interval and fired home with his left foot to write more history. United went on to contain an Everton side that offered little in the second-half as they lifted themselves up to fifth.

Here are five talking points from Merseyside.

1 Ronaldo's night

Six days ago he didn't get a single minute, this weekend he got more than an hour and scored his 700th club goal. Ronaldo, once again, found himself on the bench at Everton but an injury to Martial, who only recently returned from a period on the sidelines himself, meant the No.7 was introduced after half an hour.

It allowed Ronaldo to get a feel for the game rather than feel any pressure to make an immediate impact. Within 15 minutes he was finding the back of the net, as if it was almost written. He continued to look likely with his strike no doubt helping his mood as he staked his claim going forward.

This could prove to be the chance Ronaldo was waiting for with Martial potentially set for another spell in the treatment room. Antony has shown positive early signs, Jadon Sancho was dropped for the first time whilst Marcus Rashford has been largely used from wide areas, leaving a potential vacancy for a central striker.

2 Everton's reality check

The Toffees arrived into this contest having not lost since mid-August. United meanwhile made the short trip after shipping six at Manchester City having also struggled to see off Cyprus minnows Omonia in the Europa League. It had the ingredients of a night the Red Devils could do without.

Instead they dominated an Everton side who, having not lost in six, looked largely abject and without ideas. Their goal came from 25 yards, but other than that they were outclassed, even if they were in the game for long periods by virtue of the scoreline.

Frank Lampard will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last season's relegation woes, but his side will need to offer far more going forward if they want to be a threat with Everton among the lowest scorers in the league.

3 Casemiro's charge

He might be a five-time Champions League winner, but the Brazilian has never been to Goodison Park and he was given an early awakening of what he can expect in England's top flight. There has been a clamour for Casemiro to start ever since his big-money move from Real Madrid.

Ten Hag put the midfielder in for his first start on Sunday evening but within five minutes the 30-year-old was dispossessed in his own half, which set Everton away to score their opener just seconds later. Casemiro's forgettable first-half was compounded when he waltzed into the box unmarked, but couldn't even hit the target from ten yards.

His pass set Ronaldo away to put United ahead and the Brazilian was solid and grew into the contest, eventually being named Man of the Match, which underlines how quickly he got to grips with the demands of the game.

4 Dom's back

And boy do they need him. Dominic Calvert-Lewin entered the cost with 15 minutes remaining as Everton desperately looked for some kind of cutting-edge, that had been seriously lacking.

The forward hadn't played a single minute until tonight, which may explain why the Toffees are yet to hit double figures in terms of goals. Calvert-Lewin has been a leading light with the Toffees for several years and his movement and dynamism in the final third has been sorely missed - which was underlined by the reception he got from the crowd.

His return is also timely given the World Cup in just a matter of weeks away. Calvert-Lewin was, at one point, seen as the back-up to Harry Kane and will have hopes of mounting a late charge.

5 Fourth choice Harry

Last season Harry Maguire was seemingly undroppable despite his struggles for form. Now, with Ten Hag at the helm, the centre-half is waking up to the harsh reality of where poor performances get you. He's lost his starting role with summer signing Lisandro Martinez forming a partnership with Raphael Varane.

The Frenchman was forced off last weekend and was only good enough for the bench on Merseyside. With Maguire injured, it was Victor Lindelof who got the nod alongside Martinez, as he did last weekend at the Etihad.

That may well have long-term ramifications for his future in Manchester, but in the short-term his England hopes will be hampered. Maguire is experiencing a difficult period, but any hopes he had of turning it around on the pitch look increasingly unlikely.

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