^ ^ Everton vs Man Utd: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news

Sesko hoping to start tonight (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United have no fresh injury concerns as they prepare for a big test away to Everton tonight.

Michael Carrick’s side have had 13 days off since their last game with Benjamin Sesko coming off the bench to rescue a point at West Ham United on 10 February.

It maintained United’s unbeaten record under their new boss having collected 13 points from a possible 15 to reignite their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

A settled side has helped them build that momentum but Carrick faces a big decision over whether to hand a start to Sesko after his heroics in east London.

Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have been at the heart of defence with Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro effectively marshalling midfield.

Bryan Mbeumo has played through the middle in each of Carrick’s games in charge but Sesko’s impact off the bench – both against West Ham and against Fulham where he scored another late winner – will surely have him in contention.

Matthijs de Ligt has not played since the end of November due to a back problem and there is still no clear timeline on when the Netherlands international will return to action.

Get your football fix

Don't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? Metro's exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.

From the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.

Sign up here, it's an open goal.

De Ligt has not featured since the end of November (Picture: Getty)

De Ligt is ‘getting closer’ with Mason Mount also still unavailable.

Patrick Dorgu is United’s only other absentee as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered in the win over Arsenal.

Man Utd XI to face Everton – Metro prediction

Carrick has named unchanged XIs in his last two games and could very well stick with the same side this evening.

Sesko’s role will be the biggest decision – against a low block, the Slovenia international could prove to be a more useful option at the focal point of attack.

Amad Diallo could be the unlucky one to drop out.

Everton vs Man Utd TV channel, live stream and kick-off time

Everton vs Manchester United kicks off at 8pm tonight (Monday 23 February).

 You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

Comments Add as preferred source

^ ^ Edwin van der Sar says Manchester United are selling player with ‘tremendous quality’

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar (Picture: Getty)

Edwin van der Sar believes Manchester United are selling a player with ‘tremendous quality’ in Andre Onana.

Old Trafford legend Van der Sar knows Onana well having worked with him in his previous role as chief executive at Ajax.

Onana spent six years at the Dutch club before joining Inter Milan and it was at the Serie A giants that he attracted interest from Manchester United.

Much was expected of Onana following his £47m move to United as he had just helped Inter reach the final of the Champions League, which they lost narrowly to Manchester City.

But Onana proved to be a largely frustrating figure in the Red Devils team, making a string of mistakes before being replaced at the start of the season.

Manchester United loaned Onana to Trabzonspor after signing new No. 1 Senne Lammens and the Turkish club are believed to have an option to sign him permanently in the summer.

Even if Trabzonspor reject the chance to make the move permanent, Onana will still be moved on at the end of the season, with reports claiming Manchester United have already decided to sell the Cameroon international.

Get your football fix

Don't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? Metro's exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.

From the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.

Sign up here, it's an open goal.

Man Utd transfer flop Andre Onana (Picture: Getty)

Van der Sar ‘still thinks’ Onana has ‘tremendous qualities’ but understands why his former club have decided to move him on given some of the ‘crazy’ mistakes he made in a United shirt.

‘I worked with Andre Onana for three or four years at Ajax,’ Van der Sar told Sky Bet. ‘He came in as a third-choice goalkeeper and was very eager to step up and become the first choice.

‘I thought, and I still think, that he has tremendous qualities – reflections and his feet – but somehow, he has the odd mistake in him that makes you think “That’s crazy, how can he do that.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOeV393DAWC/?hl=en

‘A team wants stability, to know what your goalkeeper is doing so the back four can relate and I think that’s what happened [the issue] with Andre.

‘Manchester United haven’t had stability for the last six or seven years – the back four changing, the centre-halves and midfielders changing, coaches changing – so, it’s difficult for new players to come into an environment where the expectations are high, not only for goalkeepers but also for a winger or midfielder.

‘A lot of players who have come here in the last eight or nine years have not reached the level that people expected them to reach.

Current Man Utd No. 1 Senne Lammens (Picture: Getty)

‘I absolutely thought that he would succeed when he first came here to United. As I said, I worked with him and saw him at Ajax, he did well in Italy and played in a Champions League final, so I thought it was a match made in heaven.’

Van der Sar, who won four Premier League titles and the Champions League at Manchester United, has been impressed by Ruben Amorim’s £18m summer signing Lammens.

‘He’s doing well,’ he said of Lammens, who attracted praise from legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson earlier in the season.

‘Of course, it’s only been seven or eight months, but it certainly looks like he knows the physicality of the Premier League – I see him coming for balls in the penalty spot and he claims them with confidence, makes saves when needed, not looking to make saves when not necessary.  
  
‘I’m not here day-to-day and I don’t see all of the games, but he looks like he has a good package with him to be here [at Manchester United] for a long time.’

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Monday night, facing Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

United travel to Merseyside sitting fifth in the table, level on points with top-four rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, while Everton are ninth.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comments Add as preferred source

^ ^ Wesley Fofana breaks silence on racist abuse he received after Chelsea draw against Burnley

Wesley Fofana suffered racist abuse in the wake of Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Burnley (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana said ‘nothing changes’ and ‘people are never punished’ after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were sent racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

Both players were targets of online attacks in the hours after the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge and shared images of messages they had been sent privately over Instagram.

It came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the pitch by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.

On Saturday night, Fofana – who had been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards – posted screenshots of messages he had been sent and wrote on Instagram: ‘2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.

‘You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.’

Mejbri had earlier also shared abusive messages he had received and wrote on his Instagram story: ‘It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.’

Chelsea said the abuse ‘is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club,’ and that ‘there is no room for racism’.

Get your football fix

Don't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? Metro's exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.

From the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.

Sign up here, it's an open goal.

Bunrley’s Hannibal Mejbri was also racially abused following Burnley’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

A club statement added: ‘We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job.

‘We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.’

Burnley said: ‘There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly.’

Football’s response to allegations of racism has been heavily scrutinised in recent days following the incident in Lisbon.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho in his post-match comments accused Vinicius of provoking what happened while the Portuguese club claimed there was a defamation campaign against their player.

We stand alongside Wesley Fofana and Chelsea in condemning the vile racist abuse he has received on social media.Racism has no place in our game or anywhere in society and we will continue to do all we can to support players who are subjected to discriminatory abuse.Football… https://t.co/Ddie91qkjB

— Premier League (@premierleague) February 21, 2026

The match on Tuesday was halted for 10 minutes early in the second half after Vinicius refused to return to the pitch after becoming suddenly and visibly upset with something apparently said to him by Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt during the incident.

Saturday’s Premier League game ended level after Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed a stoppage-time equaliser to deny Chelsea, who dominated up until Fofana’s red card.

The defender was dismissed in the 72nd minute for a second booking after making a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse.

Earlier, Joao Pedro had scored in the fourth minute to seemingly put Liam Rosenior’s side on course of victory but as so often this season under successive managers they lacked killer instinct and failed to finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team

Comments Add as preferred source

^ ^ Alan Shearer makes Arsenal title prediction after Man City beat Newcastle

Alan Shearer believes the Premier League title race is going to the wire (Picture: PLP)

Alan Shearer believes Arsenal remain in the driving seat to win the Premier League title, despite Manchester City cutting the gap to just two points ahead of Sunday’s north London derby.

Pep Guardiola’s side have chipped away at the lead the Gunners had opened up at the top of the table and took advantage of Wednesday’s latest slip-up at Wolves last night.

City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle means Arsenal cannot afford another misstep against their bitter rivals this afternoon who are hoping to enjoy a new manager bounce in a fixture that will represent Igor Tudor’s first game at the helm following Thomas Frank’s sacking.

Despite the pressure mounting on the long-time leaders, Shearer believes Mikel Arteta’s men just about hold the advantage as the run-in begins in earnest.

‘I would probably still just say Arsenal, Shearer told Premier League Productions when asked who sat in the box seat following Nico O’Reilly’s matchwinning brace against his own former side.

‘But there’s not going to be a lot between them. What we can guarantee is each and every Saturday is it’s a case of we’ve done our job, now it’s over to you.

‘But I think both teams aren’t going to win all of their games so the pressure will be backwards and forwards, it will flip flop.

Get your football fix

Don't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? Metro's exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.

From the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.

Sign up here, it's an open goal.

Nico O’Reilly scored both goals in Man City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

Man City’s players knew the significance of their win over Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

‘I know the pressure Arsenal are under because of the circumstances and how they’ve finished second on too many occasions for their liking.

‘Man City have been there, they know what it’s about, they’ve got so many players and the management have been there and know what it takes to get over the line.

‘I still think Arsenal might have just have a slight advantage, just.’

Guardiola, meanwhile, hailed a ‘massive’ win after City held on for a crucial yet nervy victory.

The Spaniard now wants his players to focus on their next game, at Leeds next Saturday, without getting distracted by the wider title picture.

Up Next

The City boss said: ‘It was massive. Newcastle are an incredible team.

‘That game today is what we are going to face in the next 11. Every game will be like that, a battle.

‘Now we have three days off. I say to them ‘what you have to do is take a lot of caipirinhas and daiquiris in these next three days, enjoy life’, and then we make proper sessions and go to Leeds.

‘That is the proper way. If we say ‘we win this, then Arsenal do this or Aston Villa’… (you get a) slap in the face and what you thought (would happen), the opposite happens.

POLL

Who will win the Premier League title?

• Arsenal
• Man City
• Aston Villa

Sign up to In The Mixer, your guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk – sign up, it’s an open goal.

Team ?

Let us know which team you support.

Select All

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Bournemouth

Brighton

Burnley

Chelsea

Crystal Palace

Everton

Fulham

Leeds United

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Newcastle

Nottingham Forest

Sunderland

Tottenham

West Ham

Wolves

Email

I agree to receive newsletters from Metro

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

‘I know how difficult it will be. Just win the next game, keep going, never give up. Ten games is a lot in the Premier League. Many things are going to happen.”

Buoyed by Arsenal’s unexpected draw against Wolves in midweek, the game began amid a raucous atmosphere.

The mood was more anxious by the end as Newcastle pressed late on, but Guardiola felt the crowd helped City to the three points.

‘The vibe and the connection with our fans today was the best of the season,” he said. “We have five (home) games left in the Premier League and we need that vibe.’

Comments Add as preferred source