Everton punish Moyes on Goodison return
LIVERPOOL — Everton made it a miserable return to Goodison Park for former manager David Moyes as they beat Manchester United 2-0 with ease to maintain their Champions League soccer aspirations yesterday.
Moyes, who left Everton last summer after 11 years to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, was given a rough reception off the pitch and he was offered nothing on it to improve his mood.
And to add to his discontent, Everton demonstrated their progress under his successor Roberto Martinez.
By doing the double over the champions for the first time since 1969, this was an impressive response by Everton to the midweek setback of losing at home to Crystal Palace.
Leighton Baines — a summer transfer target for Moyes before he signed a new long-term deal to stay at Goodison Park — set them on their way with a penalty and Kevin Mirallas added a second before half-time.
Everton, and Steven Naismith in particular, could have added further goals in a win that leaves them only one point behind Arsenal, who earlier on Sunday cruised to victory at Hull, in fifth place.
Moyes was taunted throughout by the home fans and this was a game that illustrated graphically just how far United, who now lie 12 points adrift of the Toffeemen, have fallen this season.
The final whistle was greeted ecstatically at a raucous Goodison and will have Martinez still believing his side can finish off an excellent season with a place in next season’s Champions League.
Moyes was greeted with some hostility when he left the United team coach — and his appearance on Goodison Park’s big screens and in his technical area brought a loud burst of jeering.
United were seeing plenty of the ball but Everton were much more dangerous, with the normally reliable Naismith unusually wasteful when he shot well over the top from Romelu Lukaku’s knockdown.
Everton were angry when a penalty appeal was rejected as Jonny Evans appeared to block Naismith’s shot with his hand — but referee Mark Clattenburg had no hesitation when the stumbling Jones clearly handled Lukaku’s goalbound shot.
Baines stepped forward and, with his usual calmness, drilled his penalty low, hard and centrally past United keeper David De Gea. Everton emphasised their superiority two minutes before the interval when they doubled their lead following a sweeping counter attack. — AFP
English Premier League table
P W D L F A Pts
Liverpool 35 25 5 5 96 44 80
Chelsea 35 23 6 6 67 26 75
Man City 33 22 5 6 88 34 71
Arsenal 35 21 7 7 62 41 70
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Everton 35 20 9 6 57 34 69
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Tottenham 35 19 6 10 51 49 63
Man Utd 34 17 6 11 56 40 57
Southampton 35 13 10 12 50 45 49
Newcastle 35 14 4 17 39 54 46
Stoke 35 11 11 13 39 49 44
Crystal Palace 35 13 4 18 28 41 43
West Ham 35 10 7 18 38 48 37
Swansea 35 9 9 17 47 51 36
Hull 34 10 6 18 34 43 36
Aston Villa 34 9 8 17 35 49 35
West Brom 33 6 15 12 40 51 33
Norwich 35 8 8 19 28 56 32
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Cardiff 35 7 9 19 31 65 30
Fulham 35 9 3 23 35 77 30
Sunderland 34 7 8 19 33 57 29
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