Manchester United’s No1 David de Gea leaves Tim Howard in the shade
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Version 0 of 1. Roberto Martínez claimed fine margins settled the outcome at Old Trafford but there was a decisive chasm between the contribution of the two goalkeepers. Where Tim Howard erred, David de Gea excelled and that fundamental margin helped elevate Manchester United to fourth in the Premier League and left Everton languishing fourth from bottom. There were other contrasts behind Louis van Gaal’s first taste of back-to-back league wins as the United manager, not least the impact of the two clubs’ record signings. The £59.7m Ángel di María scored one and made the winner for Radamel Falcao in another incisive, classy performance, whereas £28m Romelu Lukaku gave another clumsy, static display at the head of the visitors’ attack. There are days when the Chelsea manager, José Mourinho, is castigated for overlooking the Belgium international or appears to have stolen £28m from Goodison Park. Given that Lukaku’s marker was Patrick McNair, a 19-year-old making only his second appearance in the United first team yet dominant throughout, this was firmly the latter. It was the goalkeepers who made the greater difference on a potentially significant afternoon in United’s season. As well as Di María performed, the decision to hand the Argentina international the man-of-the-match award must have been made long before the final whistle. Even the recipient was baffled. “David deserves this award more than myself,” Di María said. “He saved us throughout the game.” Recent history was ready to repeat itself for Everton when Bryan Oviedo sent a half-volley towards De Gea’s top left-hand corner in the 93rd minute. As at Anfield last week, Martínez’s team laboured, finally showed some attacking impetus in the closing stages and looked to have salvaged a point with the substitute assuming the Phil Jagielka rescue role. Not this time. De Gea produced a stunning stop to flick the ball over his bar. Two minutes earlier, he made another impressive save when Leon Osman was released on the edge of the United penalty area by Steven Naismith. The Spain international also became the first goalkeeper to deny Leighton Baines from the penalty spot in a Premier League game, blotting the England international’s record after 14 successful conversions when he stopped an unconvincing effort on the stroke of half-time. It was a contribution that merited the chants that rang around Old Trafford after the final whistle. “He made three magnificent saves and we won because of that,” said Van Gaal. “He stopped a penalty at the end of the first half and he did very well in the last 15 minutes. There were three shots from outside the box, which are always difficult because there are players in front of him and his view is not very good, but when you stop these kind of shots it is good that he saved us. I said to him that it is always good for a goalkeeper to have such games because it helps improve his confidence.” Recent porous defending from United cannot have helped De Gea’s confidence but preserving three points should have a restorative effect on the £17.8m capture from Atlético Madrid. For one of his predecessors at Old Trafford, however, there is currently no escaping the punishment that follows every lapse. Howard commanded his penalty area impressively and was not the only Everton player to make a careless, costly decision. Di María’s opening goal came from a free-kick conceded needlessly by Steven Pienaar, for example, with the South African kicking out at Rafael da Silva having mis-controlled a routine pass deep in the home side’s half. Martínez blamed United’s winning goal on the referee Kevin Friend’s failure to halt play when Pienaar went down injured but the USA international, culpable for Everton’s recent home defeat by Crystal Palace, left his team-mates aghast when he raced from his goal as United played on and sent a poor clearance straight to Da Silva instead of row Z. Da Silva, Antonio Valencia, Di María and finally Falcao punished the mistake ruthlessly. With De Gea starring at the opposite end, Howard misplaced another pass intended for Tyias Browning in stoppage time, costing Everton time and momentum. “Errors are part of the goal but in terms of the referee’s decision it is clear-cut,” said the Everton manager, who confirmed John Stones, James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman will all be unfit for international duty this week. “The law says if the player is on the ground and the ball is not in a dangerous position then the referee should stop the game. “Tim Howard had a very good game. I don’t think he was responsible for the result at all. De Gea was the man of the match and the difference in the scoreline.” |