Published 16:19 IST, February 9th 2021
Man United ‘Choked’ vs Everton and are now OUT of PL title race, says Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand believes that Man United 'choked' against Everton during their 3-3 draw at Old Trafford last week and are now out of the race to lift the title.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former Man United star Rio Ferdinand believes that the Red Devils have fallen out of the title race following their 3-3 draw against Everton last week. Manchester United had the opportunity to go level with arch-rivals and title challengers Manchester City if only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men had managed to pocket three points during their match against Everton.
Man United vs Everton: How things panned out
Manchester United scored two goals in the first half of the game as Edinson Cavani found the back of the net in the 24th minute while Bruno Fernandes scored in the final minutes of half time. The Manchester outfit ended the first half with a massive two-goal advantage and looked likely to walk away with three points at the end of the match. However, Everton bounced back within the first ten minutes of the second half as twin strikes from Doucoure and James Rodriguez helped the Merseyside outfit equalise.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men managed to regain their lead as Scott McTominay managed to slot the ball past the goal line in the 70th minute only for the goal to be called out. Ultimately, in injury time Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted the ball past David De Gea in what was the last kick of the game.
With the match ending in a 3-3 draw, Manchester United missed the opportunity to go on par with Pep Guardiola's men who are currently at the top of the Premier League standings. After registering a massive 1-4 win against Liverpool at Anfield, Man City's points tally has gone up to 50 as the Cityzens now hold a 5-point lead at the top of the table.
Rio Ferdinand speaks: Former Man United star blasts Solskjaer's men for 'choking'
Former Man United star Rio Ferdinand expressed his disappointment with the team's performance and went on to comment on how United 'choked' and were 'tripping themselves up all the time' against Everton. Speaking with FIVE, Ferdinand said that the team can't defend it (the draw) by saying that at the end of the day Man United were sitting pretty at the top of the league. The former defender added that United didn't come into this season expecting to be title challengers and were too far behind Liverpool.
Rio Ferdinand shared how the problem is that United have let this opportunity slip through their hands. He revealed that it can be seen in Man City with their experience as they've smelt blood, put their heads down, and have now gone ahead. He added how United stuttered and choked, which has not been working quite properly.
Emphasising how United have choked, he added that he would put United out of the title challenge unless they go on a run and change their habits alongside their lack of consistency. The former United defender ended by mentioning that he has not seen enough to suggest that Ole's men can go on a 10-15-game winning streak. and they would be tripping themselves up all the time. He mentioned how United will look to finish second or third.
Updated 16:19 IST, February 9th 2021