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Erik ten Hag reviews Man Utd v Omonia Nicosia
Two players who are expected to start for Manchester United against Everton tonight are Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial due to their impressive cameos against Omonia on Thursday. The Red Devils have long waited for the pair to be consistent. And now, finally, they’re starting to look like the real deal ahead of their crunch showdown with Frank Lampard’s side at Goodison Park.
Manchester United weren’t at their best as they battled to overcome Omonia on Thursday night.
But Rashford and Martial both impressed off the bench, with the pair now expected to start as the Red Devils lock horns with Everton on Sunday night.
So far, Erik ten Hag has mainly stuck with a front three consisting of Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony.
But with Martial now fully fit and firing again, with three goals so far this season, the Red Devils are now primed to tinker with their squad so they can fit their No 9 into the side.
Back in the summer, it looked as though the France international would be on the move - having toiled last season.
Martial netted just once for United after the Hollywood homecoming of Cristiano Ronaldo and, after being given the green light to temporarily depart by Ralf Rangnick, then joined Sevilla.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag is hoping to mastermind Everton Premier League win (Image: GETTY)
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Things didn’t work out for the 26-year-old in La Liga, with the marksman netting just once during his brief stint in Spain.
But Martial has looked a player completely transformed ever since the appointment of Ten Hag, who appears to trust the France international.
In pre-season, the United star scored four times to show he was worth sticking with for the current campaign.
And he’s netted three goals in the space of a week, with two coming in the 6-3 defeat to Manchester City and another in their 3-2 win over Omonia on Thursday.
Martial hasn’t always been consistent throughout his time at United.
The former Monaco star was good under Louis van Gaal, struggled when Jose Mourinho ruled the roost and blew hot and cold under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Yet Martial now looks like he’s capable of finally fulfilling his potential, which makes him virtually a certainty to start against Everton.
Then, there’s Rashford.
Like his United team-mate, he endured a horrendous campaign last term - netting just five goals.
Rashford didn’t appear to get over his agonising penalty shootout miss for England against Italy at Euro 2020 last summer, with the United star condemned despite showing courage in defeat.
And there was even talk of a departure in the summer, especially when it emerged his brother had held secret talks with Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Rashford seems to be a vital asset for Ten Hag.
Man Utd have long waited to see the best from Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford (Image: GETTY)
He’s shown promising signs as a centre-forward this season, with fine displays against Arsenal and Liverpool standing out.
And Rashford looked devastating on the left wing against Omonia, scoring twice to dig his side out of a hole and also providing the assist for Martial.
For years, United have had to be patient with the pair.
But, now, it looks as though their faith is finally set to be rewarded as they look to climb up the Premier League table.
Both players looked to have been impacted by Ronaldo’s return 12 months ago, when the veteran touched down from Juventus.
Yet they’re now above the Portugal international in Ten Hag’s pecking order and look set to stay there for the foreseeable future.