The form guide of Paul Pogba's previous impacts against Everton
- Nathan Ridley
- 3 February 2021
Having sat out the midweek match for Manchester United, Paul Pogba will hope to be back in the team this weekend as he looks to extend a good record against Everton. Here's how he has fared before.
Manchester United got back to winning ways midweek with a historic win, and a fresh Paul Pogba could well help them continue their title Premier League fight against Everton on Saturday.
Having sat out the 9-0 (yep, NINE nil) obliteration of Southampton on Tuesday, Paul Pogba is fresh to face a team he enjoys encountering in Everton.
Manchester United head into the second of their eight February games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side with the task of beating the inconsistent Toffees, who they thwarted 1-3 at Goodison Park to spark a 13-game unbeaten top flight run which ended just over a week ago.
Although they still trail rivals Manchester City, the Red Devils are mounting a title challenge of their own, and a lot of credit for their recent resurgence can go to Pogba, who was crowned his club's January Player of the Month this week.
The Frenchman's form has silenced the circus surrounding his likely departure this summer and being expected to return to the starting XI for this one, may well prove his worth again at the weekend.
Pogba has won four out of seven encounters against Everton
Stat attack
Pogba boasts four direct goal contributions in seven meetings with the blue men from Merseyside, with one goal and three assists.
In terms of the 27-year-old's results, the no. 6 has a 57% win rate, having won four, drawn two and lost one of the matches - the defeat being a 4-0 embarrassment in April 2019.
This season's reverse fixture saw Pogba make a late cameo, and his presence provided some security for Man United as they saw out three points before a cup journey back to Goodison in December - more on that later.
With these two teams meeting again at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday, let's take a detailed look into how the MUFC star has shone versus Everton.
Top five performances
Manchester United 2-1 Everton
Premier League, Old Trafford
October 28, 2018
In the midst of Jose Mourinho's final days at Old Trafford, the Red Devils gave Marco Silva's men the French kiss of death.
Two of France's finest combined for both goals, as firstly Anthony Martial collided with Idrissa Gueye in the box on the half hour mark to win a penalty for Pogba to take.
Jordan Pickford initially saved the strike but the rebound fell to the recent World Cup winner, who coolly slotted the ball in to give Man United the lead.
Then in the second half, the pair exchanged roles, as Pogba picked up the ball on the edge of the 18 yard box and spotted Martial with his sublime peripheral vision, playing a sly pass for his compatriot to hit with serious whip.
The assist was one of two key passes that the midfielder made in the 90 minutes, earning a 7.7 rating on whoscored.com with six shots to boot - twice as many as any other player on the pitch.
Everton 0-2 Manchester United
Premier League, Goodison Park
January 1, 2018
Pogba seems to get along with all of his teammates, and on New Year's Day in 2018, long time academy teammate Jesse Lingard got in on the action.
Having struggled in the first half, the 20 time title winners started a turbulent 365 days by dispatching Sam Allardyce & co.
It was a tale of the two Frenchman again for the first goal, as captain Pogba laid on Martial for another pearler before he found Lingard to lash in a strike of his own shortly after.
'La Pioche' almost got himself on the scoresheet, too, with one of his four shots and two dribbles coming when he made Mason Holgate and Michael Keane look like free kick mannequins before being denied by a busy Pickford.
Manchester United 1-1 Everton
Premier League, Old Trafford
April 4, 2017
Pogba hasn't often had the opportunity to make an impact from the bench but well before the aforementioned recent Premier League trip, he stole the show after coming on at half time in this dramatic draw.
Nine minutes after entering the fray, the Frenchman hit the crossbar with a header to set up a stellar personal half.
With an 89% pass accuracy, Pogba ran the show in the second 45 (despite the Red Devils' insistence on lumping it up to Marouane Fellaini) as he made a pair of key passes and completed four dribbles, a game high.
The game was remembered for Mourinho's infamous post-match comments on Luke Shaw, as the Portuguese boss claimed he made 'every decision' for the left back.
To thicken the plot, it was the Englishman who won a penalty in the 93rd minute for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to net and gain a measly point, propelling Man United to their 12th draw of the term and a 6th place finish in '16/17…
Everton 0-2 Manchester United
Carabao Cup, Old Trafford
December 23, 2020
Frome one of his first senior meetings with the Toffees to his most recent now, and a crucial Pogba performance saw the Red Devils progress in this season's unsuccessful Carabao Cup run.
The central man and his teammates had to be patient but managed to avoid extra time thanks to goals from Edinson Cavani and Martial.
It wasn't just the goalscorers to appreciate, though, as Pogba made three key passes and two tackles in a more conversative and disciplined performance, which is sometimes when he performs best at.
Part of Man United's ongoing away domestic unbeaten run, this showing was a prequel to his award winning month.
Everton 1-1 Manchester United
Premier League, Goodison Park
December 4, 2016
We end with a start, when Pogba first faced Everton back in red.
It was an equally infuriating evening to the one in the following April, with Gueye winning a penalty to give Leighton Baines the chance to equalise late on after Ibrahimovic had this time opened the scoring.
The French superstar was industrious, winning two aerial duels and as many tackles, to compliment four dibbles and a 7.1% share of the overall possession.
Winning two trophies during his first campaign back in Manchester, this wasn't one of the nights to remember but certainly a respectable showing.
Oh, and this was the match Marcos Rojo made *that* two-footed tackle - suppose Gueye deserved to win a spot kick after surviving that.
Tip of the fixture
United's odds to win 9-0 again are 200/1 - make of that what you will - while much less entertaining 1-0 or 2-0 wins for the Red Devils are both priced at 13/2.
(Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change)
