Ex-Celtic attacker Chris Sutton has backed Manchester United to beat Everton by the narrowest of margins in their upcoming Premier League meeting. In his BBC column, Sutton predicted a slender 2-1 victory for Erik ten Hag’s United.

Manchester United have been markedly below their best this season, regularly suffering against quality opponents and getting narrow wins in matches many expect them to dominate. On Saturday (March 9), they will welcome Everton to Old Trafford, hoping to bounce back from last week’s 3-1 defeat against Manchester City and get their top-four bid back on track.

Chris Sutton Backs Manchester United To Nick ‘Spawny’ Win

Previewing this weekend’s Premier League opener, Sutton said he was not completely convinced that United had what it took to beat Everton. He, however, kept United’s knack for nicking narrow wins in consideration to predict a 2-1 victory for the hosts at Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea man wrote:

“Everton have been in woeful form for a while now, but I still can’t say I am totally convinced Manchester United will beat them. Sean Dyche’s side gave United a decent game at Goodison Park in November, despite losing 3-0, and I feel like the score will be a lot closer this time.

“I am really tempted to go for a draw but I just know United will somehow nick another spawny win, so that is what I am going with.”

He added:

“There were some people out there who gave them credit for hanging on for a long time against Manchester City last Sunday but I was not impressed. There is no disputing how good Marcus Rashford’s goal was to give United the lead, but the game was a mismatch and they are so far behind City – the two teams are worlds apart.

“Whether United do win this game or not probably comes down to whether striker Rasmus Hojlund is fit. If he does make it back from injury, it gives them a focal point in attack. Without him, we saw what happened to United last time out at Old Trafford when they lost to Fulham.”

Man Utd vs. Everton Head-To-Head Record

Record 20-time English champions Manchester United have thoroughly dominated their matchups with Everton over the years. The two teams have crossed paths 212 times in all competitions so far, with United winning 94 and losing 71. A sizable 47 games have ended all-square.

In their last meeting in November, United secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park.