Everton - Sportsmax

Numbers Game: Liverpool v Everton

Everton snatched a dramatic draw in the last Merseyside derby, and Liverpool will now look to get back at their local rivals at Anfield.

O'Neil: Wolves have 'mountain to climb' for Premier League survival

O’Neil’s side were the creators of their own downfall against the Cherries last time out, conceding three penalties as they fell to a 4-2 defeat at Molineux.

Wolves’ eighth defeat of the season leaves them in the relegation zone after 13 games this season, though they are just two points behind Wednesday’s opponents Everton.

Their struggles have been at both ends of the pitch, scoring 22 goals and conceding 32 after 13 games in the Premier League this season – the earliest in a top-flight campaign a team has scored more than 20 and conceded more than 30 goals since Watford in 1984-85.

"Incredibly disappointing and self-inflicted. Some crazy errors there, especially early in the game. It is disappointing. The lads are equally disappointed,” O’Neil said.

"We need to turn our attentions quickly to Wednesday, with a big test against Everton.

"Crazy, crazy penalties to give away. We have to write those off because you can't win games if you concede goals like that. Any error as big as those, at this level, is going to be tough to bounce back from.

"We have given ourselves a mountain to climb, which we haven't done in the last four games.”

Everton, meanwhile, were thrashed 4-0 by Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, marking the fifth time they have lost a Premier League game by a 4+ goal margin under manager Sean Dyche.

But the Toffees had started brightly at Old Trafford, albeit without offering too much in the way of a threat until the Red Devils hit the front with the aid of a deflection and a mistake by Jarrad Branthwaite.

Confident his side can bounce back from a disappointing defeat, Dyche recognises his side must return to their defensive solidity – a trait which helped them to keep four clean sheets out of six games heading into Sunday’s game – while also trying to find more potency in front of goal.

“Well, the strangest thing is we've been down this road before, unfortunately, where the pressure comes on and we have to respond, and then we do respond, and we win a game, and we change it somewhat,” Dyche said.

“It's been a hard narrative to change for a long time both with me and before me. We consistently are working hard to change it. We move forward, we drop back, we move forward, we drop back.

“And then we can't find that killer edge and then the mistakes come in and it's got away from you too quickly. So, [we need to be] eradicating the mistakes and going again and bringing that mentality that we've shown many times before.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Dwight McNeil

McNeil has both had the most shots (13) and created the most chances (13) for Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League this season, both an average of 2.2 per 90 minutes.

He’s the first player to average more than two shots and two chances created per 90 mins in a season (min. 500 minutes) since Gylfi Sigurdsson in 2018-19 (3.1 shots, 2.5 chances created).

Wolves – Matheus Cunha

Cunha has scored 15 away Premier League goals for Wolves, only the second player to do so along with Raul Jimenez (18).

The Brazilian has also scored in each of his last four away appearances, with Steven Fletcher the only other Wolves player to do so during the 2011-12 campaign (also four in a row).

MATCH PREDICTION: EVERTON WIN

Despite being favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, Everton have lost their last three home league games against Wolves. It’s their longest losing home run against them, and as many defeats as they’d suffered in their previous 18 against Wolves at Goodison Park (W9 D6).

And in a huge game between two teams at the bottom, do not expect goals on Merseyside. Two of Everton’s last three home top-flight matches have ended goalless, as many as in their previous 54 combined. The last three games at Goodison Park have seen just two goals scored, with both Everton and their opponents converting just 2.4% of their attempts (2/82).

The Toffees have also won just 29.5% of their Premier League games played on Wednesdays (33/112), their lowest win rate on any day of the week in the competition. However, they won their last such game 2-0 against Liverpool in April.

Wolves, meanwhile, have won their last three Premier League away games against Everton – only at Southampton (a current run of four) have they won more consecutively on the road in the competition.

O’Neil’s side have also scored four goals in three of their last 16 away Premier League games, having only done so once in their first 180 away games in the competition. They are also looking to score two or more goals in four consecutive away top-flight matches for the first time since April 1980.

But they face a difficult test to keep that run going. Everton have kept a clean sheet in 44% of their Premier League games under Dyche at Goodison Park (15/34) – the only permanent Toffees manager with a higher ratio in the competition is Joe Royle (46%, 22/48).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 45.8%

Draw – 25.7%

Wolves – 28.5%

Oliver Glasner will have taken positives from Palace’s draw – Paddy McCarthy

Hours after being confirmed as the successor to veteran Roy Hodgson, who stood down earlier in the day, Glasner was watching from the stand at Goodison Park as Palace claimed a point on Monday night.

McCarthy, who took charge of the side along with fellow assistant Ray Lewington after Hodgson was taken ill last week, feels the team being handed over is in fine shape.

McCarthy said: “He’s seen a team with spirit and commitment to the cause. It’s a good point in the right direction at a difficult place to come.

“I’m sure he will take a lot of positives from the game and I bet he can’t wait to come and work with the lads.”

Glasner, 49, inherits a side 15th in the Premier League and hoping to avoid being pulled into a relegation battle after a poor run of form.

The Austrian led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022 and McCarthy feels he is a strong appointment.

The Irishman said: “He is a manager with great pedigree, a European winner. He is coming into a group that I’m sure he will enjoy working with.

“It is a positive move for the football club and one I’m sure will excite the fans.”

McCarthy revealed he had not yet had the chance to meet Glasner and admitted he did not know if he himself had a future at Selhurst Park.

He said: “It was just announced as we arrived for our pre-match meal. I’ve not had chance to meet him.

“It has been a whirlwind couple of days. I’ve had no communication about myself and my future.”

In terms of the game, a dull encounter was lit up when Jordan Ayew broke the deadlock with a superb long-range strike after 66 minutes.

Everton responded well and their pressure eventually paid off when Amadou Onana headed an equaliser six minutes from time.

McCarthy said: “We created some great situations, Jordan took his goal well. We knew the questions that would be asked coming here.

“I thought we defended resolutely for the majority of the game but unfortunately we couldn’t hang on.”

Everton manager Sean Dyche bemoaned the number of chances the hosts wasted but nevertheless felt the point, which lifted the Toffees out of the bottom three, was a valuable one.

Dyche said: “First half it looked like we were off and they were a side where the new manager was sitting in the stand. They had a bit of edge about them and they played well.

“We weren’t miles off but we weren’t brave enough in possession, were too timid, played backwards too much.

“They scored a good goal, a clean strike, but I thought the mentality then was good to get on the front foot. We certainly did enough to get a point and it was a fine delivery and a fine finish.

“It’s another point on the board and we’ve just popped out of the relegation zone but there were chances – we’ve got to start taking them. There were a couple of golden chances we didn’t take.”

On This Day in 2017 – Everton’s Oumar Niasse hit with retrospective diving ban

The Senegal international was handed a two-match ban by the Football Association after winning a controversial penalty, under pressure from Scott Dann, in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Niasse’s punishment came six months after the FA voted in favour of introducing new laws in an attempt to clamp down on players diving or feigning injury.

Everton caretaker boss David Unsworth felt a “dangerous precedent” could be set by the sanction.

“I think these people (the FA) will be very busy,” he said. “He (Niasse) was shocked and I was shocked (by the charge).

“It’s a dangerous precedent that could be set if decisions are given against you which are debatable.”

Niasse denied he had “committed an act of simulation” which led to a spot-kick being awarded in the fifth minute of the game in south London.

But he was found guilty by the FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission, which includes former players.

Leighton Baines converted the contentious penalty to cancel out James McArthur’s early opener before Niasse earned Everton a point by equalising following a goal from Eagles forward Wilfried Zaha.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson said: “My only satisfaction is that the FA and the people who make those decisions have sided with me rather than the player.”

Opta Woe: The worst goalkeeping stats in Europe's top five leagues in 2019-20

Using Opta data, we have already examined some of the worst attacking, passing and defensive numbers from 2019-20, so now it's the turn of the goalkeepers.

We have analysed five metrics for keepers to have featured in at least 10 league games this season, giving us a good summary of those most in need of some improvement.

The metrics include goals conceded, save percentage and drops.

It's time to name and shame...

THE WORST GOALKEEPINGING STATS IN EUROPE'S TOP-FIVE LEAGUES 2019-20:

BUNDESLIGA:

Most goals conceded: Jiri Pavlenka(53)
Worst save percentage: Roman Burki (53.62 per cent)
Most drops: Alexander Nubel (6)
Worst passing accuracy: Tomas Koubek(54.89)
Worst keeper sweeper accuracy: Leopold Zingerle (0 per cent)

LALIGA:

Most goals conceded: Diego Lopez(46)
Worst save percentage: Juan Soriano (55 per cent)
Most drops: Simon Unai, Aitor Fernandez, Marko Dmitrovic, Diego Lopez(3)
Worst passing accuracy: David Soria (40.79 per cent)
Worst keeper sweeper accuracy: Simon Unai(33.33 per cent)

LIGUE 1:

Pep: No quick fix for Man City

A 1-1 Premier League draw at home against Everton on Boxing Day saw Manchester City's poor run of form roll on.

Premier League All-Stars: Who would be selected for North and South teams?

The new Chelsea co-owner – and chairman and interim sporting director – was speaking at a conference on Tuesday when he proposed the Premier League 'Americanised' (or should that be 'Americanized'?) itself a bit.

A relegation play-off tournament between the bottom four teams was one idea; but the other, which attracted most of the headlines, was for a North v South 'All-Star' game, pointing out Major League Baseball (MLB) in his native United States made $200million from such an event this year.

A potential Premier League 'All-Stars' game was the talk of football media on Tuesday, so at Stats Perform we decided to have a look at who might line up for the North and South.

It was decided the north-south cut-off point would see Nottingham Forest qualify for the North, ensuring each All-Stars team had 10 clubs to select from.

First up, we have unrestricted squads, so essentially the very best teams possible; then, we have squads that are limited to three players from each club and every single Premier League must have at least a single player selected. So, without any further ado, let's see who made the cut…

NORTH ALL-STARS (unrestricted)

4-3-3: Ederson (Manchester City); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool); Rodri (Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Phil Foden (Manchester City); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Luis Diaz (Liverpool).

SUBS: Alisson (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Raphael Varane (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Fabinho (Liverpool), Casemiro (Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United).

You knew the starting XI was going to look like that even before reading, didn't you? Manchester City and Liverpool obviously dominated the first team here, but it feels difficult to argue with almost any selection here.

The goalkeeper choice was probably the toughest, but only because Ederson and Alisson are both so strong and simultaneously significantly better than any other eligible shot stoppers in terms of their all-round game – Ederson ultimately got the nod owing to 13 more clean sheets over the past three-and-a-bit years, but either could've got the gig.

Similarly in defence, many of the North's options pick themselves. The centre-backs, Van Dijk and Dias, have each won the Premier League Player of the Season award in the past four years, while Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have at least 12 most assists than any other defender since the start of the 2019-20 season.

While the defence had a distinctively Liverpool look to it, City dominate the midfield because… well, they tend to dominate the midfield. Rodri provides the control and defensive protection, while Foden and De Bruyne can wreak havoc going forward and towards the flanks.

Salah and Haaland were obvious picks in attack. The Egyptian has been involved in 96 goals (66 scored, 30 assisted) since the start of the 2019-20 season, more than anyone else, while Haaland is arguably the most in-form striker in world football, having already netted 12 times in seven games for City.

Luis Diaz was perhaps the most uncertain one, but he's quickly become a key figure at Liverpool. His ability to cut inside or head for the byline makes him an unpredictable asset, and he's something of a double threat in terms of goals and creativity.

Cristiano Ronaldo's appearance on the bench owes much to his solid goal-scoring form last season.

SOUTHERN ALL-STARS (unrestricted)

4-2-3-1:Hugo Lloris (Tottenham); Reece James (Chelsea), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal); Declan Rice (West Ham), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea); Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Son Heung-min (Tottenham); Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal).

SUBS: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Jorginho (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace), Ivan Toney (Brentford).

This team has it all. A World Cup-winning goalkeeper, a defence with an ideal blend of youth and experience, a combative midfield and four world-class attackers.

Lloris gets the nod in net. He's been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the league since his arrival from Lyon 10 years ago, and based on Opta's expected goals on target (xGOT) conceded metric, Lloris has prevented 3.8 goals since the start of the 2020-21 season, significantly better than his South All-Stars back-up, Chelsea's Edouard Mendy (-3.8).

Chelsea star James is the right-back, with his 16 goal contributions (six goals, 10 assists) since the start of last season topping the charts for a defender. Koulibaly and Romero are a formidable centre-back pairing, while Zinchenko has four Premier League titles to his name from his time at Manchester City.

James and Zinchenko are brilliant attacking full-backs, but the defence will need screening, and that is where Kante and Rice come into their own. Both super ball-winners, Kante's relentless energy will be complemented by Rice's ability on the ball, as he has demonstrated at West Ham.

That midfield protection will be needed, with a four-pronged attack ready to lay waste to the North's defence.

Sterling might not have made a flying start at Chelsea but is the best pick on the right wing, with Son – who shared the league's golden boot award last season – on the opposite wing. Kane will play a slightly deeper role, behind Jesus, who has had more touches in the opposition box (66), attempted more dribbles (34), more dribbles in the box (8) and won more fouls (21) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

NORTHERN ALL-STARS (restricted)

4-2-3-1: Jordan Pickford (Jordan Pickford); Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Vigil van Dijk (Liverpool), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool); Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Pedro Neto (Wolves); Erling Haaland (Manchester City).

SUBS: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Diego Carlos (Aston Villa), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Renan Lodi (Nottingham Forest), James Maddison (Leicester City), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Jack Harrison (Leeds United), Antony Gordon (Everton), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United).

Our self-imposed restrictions of no more than three players from a given team gives the North All-Stars a distinctly different feel – nevertheless, Van Dijk, Dias, Robertson, De Bruyne, Salah and Haaland retain their places, for obvious reasons.

Probably the biggest casualty is Alexander-Arnold, but the North benefits from having another excellent forward-thinking option at right-back in Trippier, while Jordan Pickford starts between the posts – David de Gea was another option here, but the England international is better with his feet.

Bruno Guimaraes comes into the midfield, offering a valuable combination of bite and craft, while Fernandes will take up the number 10 position with De Bruyne dropping a little deeper – this shouldn't stifle the team's creativity too much given the Belgian is the only player with more chances created (239) than Fernandes (224) since the latter's Premier League debut.

The other new face in attack is Pedro Neto. Perhaps a wildcard choice, but the Portugal international is an exciting winger with lots of pace and trickery. While Salah will cut in off the opposite flank, Neto looks to get crosses into the box, and that could be an effective route to goal knowing the predatory instincts Haaland has.

Again, Ronaldo is held back in reserve.

SOUTHERN ALL-STARS (restricted)

4-3-3: Robert Sanchez (Brighton and Hove Albion); Reece James (Chelsea), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal); James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Declan Rice (West Ham), Mason Mount (Chelsea); Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Son Heung-min (Tottenham).

SUBS:Neto (Bournemouth), Ben Mee (Brentford), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion), Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford).

Robert Sanchez has been a standout performer for Brighton under the now Chelsea boss Graham Potter, and he replaces Lloris now the restrictions have come into play. He has kept 24 league clean sheets since making his debut in November 2020, which trails only four other goalkeepers.

James, Romero and Zinchenko all keep their places in defence, though Koulibaly does not. He makes way for Joachim Andersen, who has been excellent since signing for Crystal Palace in 2021.

We have switched to a midfield three for this side, with Rice staying in the team but playing a deeper, anchoring role. Alongside him are two new faces in the form of England team-mates Ward-Prowse and Mount. Both provide energy and creativity in abundance.

Ward-Prowse's set-piece quality – no midfielder has scored more goals or created more chances from set plays since the start of last season as the Southampton captain – is a huge threat, while Mount has contributed to 21 league goals since the beginning of 2021-22.

Jesus is the unlucky striker to drop out of the starting XI, though he is on the bench, with Sterling, Kane and Son leading the line.

Premier League Fantasy Picks: Why Sa, Salah, Solanke and Eze could be perfect picks

Some will be looking to consolidate lofty positions, but many will be eyeing a gamble in a late attempt to shuffle up the standings.

It comes down to analysing form, whether recent or over a longer course of time.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform selects four players you might consider for the latest set of matches.

Jose Sa (Leicester City v Wolves)

In a midlands battle between hosts in the relegation mire and visitors who are creeping clear of trouble, Wolves may need goalkeeper Jose Sa to be at his sharpest.

Only three teams have recorded more Premier League shutouts than Wolves in 2023 (5), while Sa is the eighth different goalkeeper to have recorded at least 20 clean sheets since the start of last season.

He is targeting a third successive clean sheet this weekend, and since the start of last season, only Alisson (14.2) and Bernd Leno (9.9) have prevented more goals than Sa (6.4), based on Opta's xG model.

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace v Everton)

We've seen an April shower of goals from Crystal Palace this month, and now lowly Everton are the visitors to Selhurst Park.

Since the start of April, only Manchester City (11) have scored more goals in the Premier League than Palace (9), with Eberechi Eze netting three of those.

With seven goals and three assists this season, he has already equalled his best tally for goal involvements in the Premier League season (also 10 in 2020-21), and under Roy Hodgson's leadership he is clearly thriving again.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool v Nottingham Forest)

Setting penalties to one side, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has been showing some serious form of late, hitting a double last time out at Leeds United.

Only Ollie Watkins (14) and Erling Haaland (13) have been involved in more Premier League goals in 2023 than the Liverpool forward, with Salah totting up 11 involvements (8 goals, 3 assists), nine of which have come since the beginning of March.

In his last 10 Premier League games against teams that have come up from the Championship, as Forest did at the start of this campaign, Salah has been involved in nine goals (6 goals, 3 assists).

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth v West Ham)

When Dominic Solanke gets hot, the opposition soon know about it.

He has become just the fifth different player for Bournemouth to record at least five goals and five assists in a Premier League season, achieving that by scoring once and providing two assists last time out against Tottenham.

The 25-year-old former Liverpool player had a stunning 2021-22 campaign in the Championship with the Cherries, and while he has not consistently hit the same heights in the top flight, the Tottenham game was the third of the Premier League season in which he has both scored and assisted. Nobody in the league has done so on more occasions, heading into this weekend's round of games.

Premier League MD10: Lucky winners and unlucky losers

On Saturday, both Manchester City and Arsenal fell to surprise defeats at Bournemouth and Newcastle United respectively.

It was only the third time since the start of 2017-18 that both of the previous season's top two teams had lost on the same day in the Premier League, after March 7, 2021 and January 14, 2023.

Pep Guardiola's champions could have few complaints about the result at the Vitality Stadium, where Andoni Iraola's Cherries won the expected goals (xG) battle by 2.04 to 1.56.

But which other games featured a lucky winner or an unlucky loser? We delve into the Opta data to find out.

Unlucky losers: Arsenal

The weekend's action began with Arsenal travelling to St James' Park to face Newcastle, with Mikel Arteta's side chasing a victory to move within a point of leaders Liverpool.

However, they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat as Alexander Isak's early goal proved enough for Newcastle to make it three wins in their last four home league games against Arsenal (one loss).

The Gunners could count themselves unlucky to come away from Tyneside with nothing, however, after limiting Newcastle to a measly 0.53 xG – 0.25 of which came from the chance for Isak's goal.

Only West Ham, who played half of their defeat to Nottingham Forest with 10 men, created a lower figure across the nine games to take place this weekend, with 0.13 xG.

Arsenal were far from their free-flowing best, though, only recording 10 attempts worth 1.05 xG themselves. They have averaged just 7.4 shots per game in their away Premier League matches this season, with only Brentford (7.5) taking fewer.

Lucky winners: Southampton

Just two teams – Wolves and Ipswich Town – remain without a victory in the Premier League after Southampton finally got off the mark by beating Everton 1-0 at St Mary's.

Russell Martin's team accumulated just 0.74 xG to Everton's 1.56, but Adam Armstrong's strike five minutes from time handed them a huge three points in their fight for safety.

While Beto, who headed against the crossbar just 25 seconds before Armstrong's winner, and Jack Harrison spurned great chances for the Toffees, Southampton were also grateful for a late VAR intervention, as the former saw a potential leveller chalked off for a marginal offside call.

It was the first time Everton had failed to score against Southampton in the Premier League since February 2022, bringing their five-match unbeaten run in the competition to a halt.

Unlucky losers: Crystal Palace

Southampton ended the weekend in 19th, above winless Wolves after they were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Molineux.

Marc Guehi salvaged a draw for the Eagles, who were without star men Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze yet arguably still did enough to leave the West Midlands with all three points.

They racked up 19 shots totalling 2.51 xG to their hosts' 11, which had a total value of 1.51 xG. Palace's xG figure was the highest in the Premier League this weekend, but they were missing their shooting boots as Ismaila Sarr squandered two glorious chances when they were a goal to the good in the second half.

With both defences struggling, this was only the second Premier League game of the season to be goalless at half-time but see both sides score at least twice in the second half, after Everton 2-3 Bournemouth in August.

There could have been a fifth goal in stoppage time, too, as Jean-Phillipe Mateta saw a potential winner disallowed for a foul on Jose Sa in the build-up. Wolves – and their under-fire head coach Gary O'Neil – arguably got away with one.

Lucky winners: Chelsea

Sunday's late game saw Chelsea fight back to draw 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford, denying Ruud van Nistelrooy a first Premier League win as the Red Devils' interim head coach.

Moises Caicedo's well-taken volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' penalty and Chelsea arguably looked the more likely victors in the second half, but they only generated 1.1 xG from their 12 attempts – and just 0.29 from six after the interval.

United, meanwhile, had chances worth 1.98 xG, though Fernandes' spot-kick – with an xG value of 0.79 – was a major contributing factor.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho squandered decent opportunities for United, though, and incoming boss Ruben Amorim has plenty of work to do with their attackers.

United have scored just nine goals in 10 Premier League games this season – their worst record through 10 matches of any league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine).

Fans of a certain vintage will need no reminder of what happened at the end of that season – United were relegated from the First Division, their fate sealed by club legend Denis Law scoring against them with a nonchalant backheel, while representing rivals Man City.

Premier League MD13: Lucky winners and unlucky losers

It is fair to say the Reds, who accumulated 3.3 expected goals and had 18 shots, were more than worthy of their victory on Sunday, as City lost a fourth straight league match.

But was that the case across the board this weekend? Which teams were unlucky, and which sides got lucky, when comparing the underlying metrics to their actual results?

Here, we use Opta data to find out.

Unlucky losers: Everton

The away end at Old Trafford was mostly empty by the time full-time rolled around on Sunday, as Manchester United claimed their first league win under new boss Ruben Amorim in style, beating Everton 4-0.

But it's fair to say that Sean Dyche's team had started brightly, albeit without offering too much in the way of a threat. United's opening two goals came via a deflection and then a mistake from Jarrad Branthwaite, who was heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils in the summer.

While Everton cannot be considered unfortunate to lose, the metrics do suggest United were far more clinical than would have been anticipated based on the chances that came their way, as Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford both netted doubles.

United created just 1.0 xG, while having 11 shots, just three more than the Toffees. Amorim's side took all three of their big chances (defined as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to score). Everton had only 13 touches in United's box, though, as for all their bright play in the opening 30 minutes, they failed to make any real inroads.

Lucky winners: Newcastle United

Newcastle did not get all three points against Crystal Palace on Saturday, though they were just moments away from doing so. Daniel Munoz headed home late on after connecting with a cross from Marc Guehi, who had bundled in an own goal to give the Magpies the lead.

Yet Newcastle should really consider themselves fortunate to come away with even a point, considering the match metrics.

Eddie Howe claimed his team were in control, yet they failed to have a single shot on target, had only one attempt throughout the entire match and finished with 0.04 xG - by some distance the lowest of any Premier League team this weekend.

Palace's 1.8 xG was the fifth-highest total, on the other hand. The Eagles had 16 attempts, meaning their per-shot xG of 0.11 was higher than Newcastle's entire xG across the match.

Unlucky losers: Brighton

Brighton were left to rue some missed opportunities as they drew 1-1 with Southampton in Friday's south coast derby.

The Seagulls accumulated 1.7 xG and had 22 shots, which is at least four more than any other team in the division across the weekend's matches, while their 44 touches in the opposition box was also a league-high.

Yet they could not build on Kaoru Mitoma's opener, and were ultimately punished when Flynn Downes netted just before the hour.

Southampton created 1.0 xG, so it is not as though they were unworthy of at least a goal, but Fabian Hurzeler will no doubt believe his team should have been out of sight.

Premier League MD7: Lucky winners and unlucky losers

Manchester City and Arsenal both had to come from behind to beat Fulham and Southampton respectively at home, while there were eight goals scored as Brentford overcame Wolves 5-3, with six of those strikes coming in the first half in west London.

Liverpool kept themselves ahead at the summit thanks to a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, while Manchester United stopped the rot by holding Aston Villa, albeit they have now tallied up their lowest points total after seven games of any Premier League season.

Leicester City, meanwhile, grabbed their first win of the campaign, while Anthony Gordon endured a miserable return to Goodison Park with Newcastle United. In the final fixture of the weekend, Brighton stunned Tottenham, forging a second-half comeback to win 3-2 at the Amex Stadium.

So, after all that, who were the unlucky, and lucky, teams based on the underlying metrics?

Lucky winners: Leicester City

Leicester finally got their first top-flight win of the season on the board, as they edged out Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to Facundo Buonanotte's excellent run and finish.

But, it's fair to say it was something of a smash-and-grab for Steve Cooper's team at the King Power Stadium. Leicester had just six shots, with only two of those hitting the target, and they tallied up just 0.79 expected goals (xG).

On the other hand, Bournemouth had 19 attempts, creating five big chances (a tally bettered only by Brentford's eight and West Ham's nine this week) and accumulating 2.16 xG.

Bournemouth only have themselves to blame for wasteful finishing – they got just two of their efforts on target – but the Cherries can still consider themselves unfortunate.

Unlucky losers: Newcastle

Determined to impress against his former club, Gordon fluffed his lines when his big moment arrived as Newcastle drew 0-0 with Everton on Saturday.

With James Tarkowski having conceded a penalty by recklessly pulling the shirt of Sandro Tonali, Gordon stepped up to the spot, but Jordan Pickford guessed the right way.

While Everton wanted a penalty of their own in the second half, the Toffees were largely second-best and that is backed up by the metrics. Even discounting Gordon's spot-kick, Newcastle finished with 1.26 xG and 14 shots. The hosts accumulated 0.67 xG and had eight attempts.

Lucky winners: Man City

It's not often that the champions are given a run for their money at home, but Fulham did just that.

Indeed, Fulham finished with 2.6 xG at the Etihad Stadium, the fourth-highest total across the league this weekend, while they created five big chances.

Pep Guardiola has said he is not concerned by Man City's unusually open defence, but he will want to see better from his team in that regard after the international break.

Going forward, City benefited from three excellent finishes - two from Mateo Kovacic and one from Jeremy Doku. Their 1.57 xG came from 20 shots, though they created only one big chance.

Premier League punishments for Man City or Chelsea may 'accelerate' Super League project

That is the view of finance expert Dan Plumley, who says the threat of Europe's elite clubs forming a breakaway competition is unlikely to ever go away.

Everton dropped into the Premier League's relegation zone after being deducted 10 points for a breach of the league's profit and sustainability rules earlier this month, with an independent commission ruling the Toffees exceeded the competition's maximum loss limit by £19.5million across four seasons between 2018 and 2022.

That penalty – the largest in the competition's history – has been fiercely protested by fans and has led to questions regarding other clubs' financial practices.

The Premier League is investigating City over 115 alleged breaches of the competition's rules, while Chelsea's finances are also being examined following allegations of secret payments made by companies belonging to former owner Roman Abramovich.

Some have suggested those clubs could face huge points deductions or even expulsion if found guilty, but Plumley believes that could push them back into the arms of the Super League.

"I don't think the European Super League will ever go away. I think we've seen that time and time again," Plumley told Stats Perform.

"It was the closest it's ever been to fruition in 2021, we know the backlash there but it's never off the table. You've seen the wider narrative in the European football landscape, and my take was that it would always come back around.

"It will be particularly dependent on what the Champions League looks like and the Champions League broadcasting revenues and reformat of that competition. So broadly speaking, I don't think it's off the table."

Both City and Chelsea were involved in the widely despised Super League project, which collapsed under pressure from fans, media and players in 2021.

Plumley is certain the Premier League will be in self-preservation mode when it comes to ruling on cases involving those clubs, saying: "I think the Premier League will be mindful of that.

"They know there is a lot of power held by those big clubs and their ownership structures and the people that are in that mix. They know that the threat of a Super League is still there.

"I do think that will be a factor in this, whether we like it or not. It will be there in the background of the considerations.

"There is that argument, in the same way as in the Champions League, that if the bigger clubs don't get what they want, or feel that they're being too heavily penalised, you can probably bet that a conversation about a European Super League will come back around.

"I think it would probably have come around anyway, but this kind of stuff might accelerate that. It might make it move quicker, but I don't think it was ever off the table."

Preview: Everton v Man Utd

Everton are in fine form heading into Saturday's clash with Manchester United, with David Moyes having turned their fortunes around.

Preview: Everton v Tottenham

Tottenham are closer to Sunday's opponents Everton in the Premier League table than they are to the top eight.

Rashford form 'up there with the best I've ever been'

After scoring in his previous four matches, Rashford looked a man full of confidence as he ran Everton's defence ragged on Friday, playing a part in all three goals as United saw off the Toffees 3-1.

He set up Antony for the opener just four minutes in, and although Conor Coady levelled for Everton, dazzling work from Rashford down the left wing forced the Everton defender to turn into his own net to put United 2-1 ahead in the second half.

Rashford then capped his brilliant performance by dispatching a penalty late on after Alejandro Garnacho was felled by Ben Godfrey, becoming the first United player since Wayne Rooney in 2012 to score in seven consecutive home appearances in all competitions.

After leading United into the fourth round, Rashford believes he is near the peak of his powers, telling ITV: "This is probably up there with the best I've ever been.

"I feel good on the pitch and I'm getting in positions and areas to score goals. If they keep creating chances, I feel at the minute I'll keep scoring."

Manager Erik ten Hag is enjoying a strong start to his Old Trafford career, and his team remain fighting on all four fronts as he looks to end his first season with silverware.

Rashford says United have their sights firmly set on winning trophies, explaining: "That's the aim. That's why we do what we do and work so hard.

"We want to be in finals and play in the biggest games. Ultimately we want to win silverware and trophies, so hopefully this season we get the opportunity to do that.

"It's always nice to go through in cup games, and the FA Cup is definitely a special competition to play in.

"We're pleased that we can go through to the next round and more importantly, we keep momentum going and keep winning games."

In stark contrast to United's hunt for glory, success for Everton may be simply staying in the Premier League after a run of six defeats in seven in all competitions.

Manager Frank Lampard looked to be staring down the barrel after his team were hammered 4-1 by Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday, but an improved performance against United, albeit in defeat, has given the former Chelsea man hope he can turn things around.

Lampard cited Rashford as the key to the result, saying: "The players were very, very good. We had the better chances.

"Marcus Rashford was probably the difference between the two teams because top individual talent can do that to you."

With a huge league fixture with fellow strugglers Southampton next up for Everton, Lampard was asked whether he expected to be in the dug-out, to which he replied: "That's not under my control. It's not for me to focus on that.

"This league can change very quickly, and when you're in difficult times, you have to work really hard to get out of it and the picture can change. My focus is on this team and getting a result against Southampton."

Rashford: Current Man Utd form 'up there with the best I've ever been'

After scoring in his previous four matches, Rashford looked a man full of confidence as he ran Everton's defence ragged on Friday, playing a part in all three goals as United saw off the Toffees 3-1.

He set up Antony for the opener just four minutes in, and though Conor Coady levelled for Everton shortly after, dazzling work from Rashford down the left wing forced the Everton defender to turn into his own net to put United 2-1 ahead in the second half.

Rashford then capped his brilliant performance by thumping home a penalty late on after Alejandro Garnacho was felled by Ben Godfrey, becoming the first United player since Wayne Rooney in 2012 to score in seven consecutive home appearances in all competitions.