EVERTON will be hoping Duncan Ferguson can work his magic again when they head to Old Trafford for a clash with in-form Manchester United.
Watching the caretaker boss kick every ball on the touchline was the highlight of last weekend as his Toffees side moved out of the drop zone with a huge win over Chelsea.
Yet it looked like that would be the big Scot's only game in charge, with rumours rife that former gaffer David Moyes was set to take over.
However, Carlo Ancelotti's sacking at Napoli forced the Goodison board to reassess their options, meaning Ferguson will stay at the helm while they make up their minds about who will be Marco Silva's successor.
The players who flopped under Silva were transformed by Ferguson last weekend, with Everton chasing down every loose ball and knocking Chelsea out of their rythmn.
But they will need a repeat to get anything at Old Trafford, with Manchester United on a high after impressive wins over Spurs, Manchester City and AZ Alkmaar.
How the bookies view it
United's fine recent form sees them favourites for a win here at a best 4/5 with Unibet. Everton are as big as 83/20 with Marathonbet while the draw is 11/4 at Sportingbet.
I tipped a United win with both teams to score against Alkmaar only for Solskjaer's side to keep their first clean sheet in six games.
Their results in domestic games after Europa League matches has been mixed (two losses, two wins and a draw) but Solskjaer's side have some real momentum for the first time this season.
However, Everton have scored on their last four road trips in the Premier League so I'm going to double a United victory here with both teams to score again. That's a best 13/5 with Bet365 while I wouldn't rule out the draw and both teams to score at 4/1 with BetVictor.
Recent head to head
Honours were even between these sides last season, with a win apiece. The Toffees romped to a 4-0 victory at Goodison (below) while United edged it 2-1 at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
But that thumping 4-0 win ended an eight-game unbeaten run for Manchester United in this fixture. Everton's last win before that came back in April 2015 when they won 3-0 at Goodison.
Team news
Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw should shake off injuries to feature for United but Paul Pogba remains sidelined along with Diogo Dalot, Marcus Rojo, and Eric Bailly.
Everton duo Lucas Digne and Theo Walcott were forced off against Chelsea and Ferguson will be hoping they are fit to play here. Seamus Coleman is another doubt while key midfielders Fabian Delph and Andre Gomes remain out.
Thriller or chiller?
There have been over 2.5 goals in United's last five games and also in Everton's last four games on the road. So that points towards an open encounter here. Over 2.5 strikes is 21/25 with Marathonbet while over 3.5 goals is 21/10 with BetVictor. Both teams to score on its own is 3/4 with Bet365 and that looks another good option.
Players to watch
French forward Martial (below) loves playing against Everton and has three goals from his last four matches in this fixture. He's 31/20 with Unibet for anytime scorer and that looks excellent value.
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin credited Ferguson for giving him the belief to turn in a barnstorming display against Chelsea. I flagged up Richarlison as their biggest threat that day and the Brazilian delivered but he was overshadowed by the youngster who grabbed a double.
Calvert-Lewin is 13/4 with Unibet for a goal here and that's a good option as he will be full of confidence.
Anything else catch the eye?
William Hill are offering 5/4 on Everton winning over one corner in each half and that seems to offer decent value. You can also get tempting odds of 29/20 from BetVictor on United having over 5.5 corners in the match and Everton over 1.5 cards.
This English Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton will be played on Dec 15, 2019 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester United vs Everton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
