Everton can grab shock win against Man Utd if they exploit this major tactical weakness

Sean Dyche; a manager so fearsome that the Premier League had to hit him with a 10-point deduction just to give everybody else a chance. On Saturday, the man who gargles gravel will lead his newly-hamstrung Everton side into a clash with Manchester United at Goodison Park as they look to take the first step towards digging themselves out of the hole that they now find themselves.

A few short weeks ago, this might not have been such a daunting proposition. United, troubled as they were, gave off the distinct vibe of a crop circle hoax - flat, overly-reliant on a bunch of planks, and ultimately going round in circles. Now, however, they look inexplicably revitalised. Kind of. Just one defeat in five league outings have lifted them to sixth in the table, and while the means haven't always been pretty, the ends are at least looking less like a Jackson Pollock painted with elephant dung.

But what hope, if any, do Everton have of gleaning a positive result on Sunday afternoon? It's a puzzler, but as far as we can see there, are a few ways that they can really get at, and indeed suppress, their visitors...

Win the aerial battle

Look, we appreciate how reductive it is to discuss the tactical merits of a Sean Dyche and immediately fall back on the tired old 'lump it up to the big man' narrative, but where United are concerned, it might actually be the smartest way to approach things. A quick glance at the numbers tells you that the Red Devils win, on average, just 11 aerial duels per game, as per Whoscored. By contrast, Everton, those Toffee-coated trapeze artists, average 18 successful lofted battles per 90 minutes.

Evidently, then there are certain aerial discrepancies that the Blues could, and should, look to exploit. Their cause in that regard will be aided by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. For a long time, the striker has been plagued by injuries that have affected both his minutes and his form, but in recent weeks he has looked more and more like the player who won 11 England caps between 2020 and 2021.

Three goals in his past seven top flight outings would suggest that he is starting to properly rekindle his spark, and his presence in the air could be incredibly useful this weekend. A closer look at the stats shows that Calvert-Lewin's average of 4.4 aerial duels won per 90 minutes is higher than any United player this season, including the man he is likely to be lining up against, Harry Maguire, who boasts an average of 3.1.

Don't be afraid to press high

There are really two aspects to this point. Firstly, Manchester United are really poor when it comes to springing offside traps. In fact, only Chelsea have recorded more than their running tally of 33 offsides for the campaign, and even in the instances that the Red Devils do break through, they are hardly clinical.

Erik ten Hag's men have recorded just 1.08 goals per game in the Premier League this season, with a shot accuracy of 32%. None of the players who you would typically expect to run in behind have exactly thrived either, with Marcus Rashford boasting just one top flight goal this term, and the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Anthony Martial, Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony all still yet to find the back of the next. Then again, perhaps that is unsurprising when they only register two through balls per match.

Then there is the added pressure that a higher line places on the centre of the park. United average 467 short passes per 90 minutes, with a majority of their play (39%) happening in the middle third of the pitch. That being said, they are not infallible, and they are, on average, dispossessed 9.4 times per game by opposition challenges. For context, Everton suffer the same fate 7.7 times per 90 minutes. As such, if the Toffees can be brave enough to step onto the front foot, then there are mistakes to be forced in this United side.

Suppress (and exploit) the left flank

Again, there are two points to be made here. On the one hand, United start a majority of their attacks (39%) on the left flank, and if Marcus Rashford, or whichever attacker is posted out there on Sunday, can be stifled, then Everton's chances of conceding will drop accordingly.

Then, of course, there are United's ongoing injury issues at left-back. Ten Hag confirmed earlier in the week that Luke Shaw will be available for selection this weekend after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but it remains to be seen whether he will be risked from the outset, and if he is not, then Victor Lindelof will likely start in his stead.

Over the course of the season, in the matches that he has started at full-back, the Swede has registered an average match rating of just 6.2, as per Whoscored. Only Lisandro Martinez and Anthony Martial have played more than 240 minutes and recorded lower. In short, if there is a weak link to be tested, Lindelof may well be it.