Man Utd suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Everton.

Manchester United suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Premier League and displayed a lackluster performance against a well-organized home side.

Rooney played poorly against his former team, and his teammates didn't do much better. Photo: Reuters.

A second consecutive defeat not only cost Man Utd the chance to take second place but could also leave the team struggling for fourth place with four games remaining. Man Utd currently have 65 points, seven points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, but the Anfield side have a game in hand.

Goodison Park continued to prove a formidable ground for Man Utd in recent years. The Red Devils conceded a goal in the fifth minute after James McCarthy completed a quick Everton counter-attack. The home side doubled their lead in the first half with a header from center-back John Stones. Towards the end of the second half, Mirallas capitalized on a Man Utd defensive error to score the third goal, sealing the 3-0 victory.

This was Everton's third consecutive victory against Man Utd at Goodison Park. Meanwhile, Man Utd have only won one of their last seven away matches there, with two draws and four defeats.

History repeated itself in today's match. This is the first time Man Utd have conceded two goals in the first half in the Premier League since April 2014, and the previous occasion was also against Everton at Goodison Park. A year ago, manager David Moyes and Man Utd suffered a 0-2 defeat, and now manager Van Gaal has received an even more disappointing result.

David Moyes has left, but the current Manchester United squad still includes players who left a lasting impression at Everton, such as Rooney and Fellaini. These two leading attacking stars of the Red Devils desperately wanted to score against their former club, but they were powerless against Everton's tight defense and sharp attack.

Manchester United's most notable chance came immediately after conceding the first goal. Fellaini stole the ball from Barry and faced goalkeeper Tim Howard, but the Belgian midfielder's shot went over the crossbar. On a day when Manchester United's midfield, including Herrera and Mata, underperformed, the visitors resorted to an ineffective wing-based style of play. In the second half, manager Van Gaal's substitution of Fellaini for Falcao further exacerbated Manchester United's problems, as the Colombian forward seemed isolated within the Everton defense.

Mata failed to help Man Utd create pressure from midfield and was frequently outmatched in challenges. Photo: Reuters.

In the previous round, Man Utd lost at Chelsea's ground despite having 71% possession. In this away game, Man Utd also held possession for 66%, and the result was a similar defeat.

Everton were an exact replica of what Chelsea did a week ago, but with an upgraded version featuring faster players. Aaron Lennon, James McCarthy, and Lukaku constantly put the Manchester United defense on high alert whenever United lost possession up front. Against such a fast-paced attack, the central defensive pairing of Smalling and McNair, along with defensive midfielder Blind, revealed the weaknesses that many Manchester United fans feared.

Blind had just returned from injury, and this may be the reason for his poor performance in this match. Despite knowing the opponent was playing a counter-attacking game, Blind failed to intercept the ball effectively, leaving the central defenders constantly vulnerable. If Smalling hadn't made a few successful tackles, De Gea would likely have conceded more than three goals. Blind's performance only made Man Utd miss their vice-captain Michael Carrick even more, whose return date remains uncertain.

Mirallas punished the Man Utd defense with a goal that sealed the 3-0 victory. Photo: Reuters.

Lukaku didn't score in this match, but the former Chelsea striker still gave the Manchester United defense a hard time. The Belgian forward not only made powerful runs but also drew the opposing defense away, creating opportunities for his teammates. Everton's third goal was a prime example, with all the Manchester United defenders frozen in place, focusing solely on Lukaku being offside and forgetting about Mirallas quietly surging forward from behind.

This was Everton's fifth win in their last six matches. The Merseyside team is experiencing a strong resurgence at the end of the season after a largely inconsistent run of form. However, Everton's resurgence is only of symbolic significance, as they no longer have a chance to compete for a European cup spot next season.

According to VNE