Everton 0-3 Manchester United:Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera scored a quick-fire double as Rooney Scores Third

For Manchester United the last two weeks must have seemed like an awfully long time.

 Defeat at Arsenal last time out in the Barclays Premier League had served to undermine talk of a genuine title challenge and, with the international break coming when it did, Louis van Gaal and his players had an awful long time to ruminate on it.

 

This, then, was the perfect way to return to domestic activity. United were not three goals better than Everton and had to withstand a 15-minute spell at the start of the second half that saw their goalkeeper David de Gea keep the home team at arm's length.

 

They were still better than Everton, though. They were better in front of goal and better in the crucial moments of interest in their own penalty area. The margins are very fine in the English top division and here at Goodison Park United found themselves on the right side of the lin.

In essence, the game was decided in the four first half minutes in which United scored two goals and the spell just after half-time when De Gea, as is his way, produced his best to ensure Everton were not afforded any real sufficient encouragement to mount a tangible comeback.

 

Early on, there was not much in it. Van Gaal had responded to his side's mauling at Arsenal by leaving out the erratic Dutchman Memphis Depay, moving forward Anthony Martial out to the left and playing Wayne Rooney through the middle ahead of the recalled Ander Herrera.