STWF Sports | Nov. 24, 2025 – Manchester United’s fragile resurgence came crashing back to earth on Saturday as Ruben Amorim’s side suffered a deflating 1–0 defeat to ten-man Everton, a loss that not only halted their six-match unbeaten run but etched an unwanted piece of Premier League history.
For 33 years, no team reduced to ten men had beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League match. Everton, battling their own chaotic season, arrived with energy, resilience, and enough sharpness to punish a sluggish United team that looked uncomfortably reminiscent of the squad that collapsed to a 15th-place finish last season.
The breaking point came in the 38th minute when Idrissa Gana Gueye was dismissed for slapping teammate Michael Keane after a miscommunication that gifted United a shooting chance. Yet, improbably, it changed nothing. Everton scored with their only shot on target, and United—with an extra man for over 50 minutes—failed to impose themselves in a performance Amorim called “a team failure.”
Amorim Sounds the Alarm: “I Feel Afraid”
In his post-match remarks, Amorim did little to hide his frustration or concern.
“I feel afraid of returning to the feeling of last season,” the United boss admitted.
“Old Trafford was there to see we were going to make a big step up. We were not ready. Today was not the mistake of one individual—it was the team, the feeling.”
The message was blunt. United’s poor energy, indecision, and lack of aggression—traits that haunted them in their disastrous 2024–25 campaign—surfaced again despite recent optimism built on tactical improvements and defensive solidity.
Amorim’s tone suggested something deeper than disappointment over a single loss. It hinted at anxiety that the psychological and structural weaknesses of last season remain embedded beneath the surface.
Dewsbury-Hall Delivers a Stunner
Everton deserved their first-half lead, Gueye’s meltdown aside. Former Leicester and Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the game’s lone goal—a rasping first-time strike into the top corner after clever interplay on the edge of the box. United’s back line, slow to react and hesitant to close down space, could only look on.
Though United held nearly all meaningful possession after the red card, they rarely looked threatening. Joshua Zirkzee forced a spectacular save from Jordan Pickford, but apart from that moment, Everton’s goal was rarely under siege.
The boos inside Old Trafford grew louder with each wasted attack.
Chaos in the Everton Box Sparks Red Card Drama
Gueye’s red card was as bizarre as it was needless. After the midfielder lost the ball deep in his own penalty area, Bruno Fernandes lashed a rising shot over the bar. Rather than regroup, Gueye confronted Keane, appearing to blame him for not being in position to receive his pass.
The two men grabbed at each other before Gueye delivered a slap—a straight red under Law 12. Keane stood stunned as Pickford physically ushered Gueye away from the scene.
The moment could have shattered the Toffees. Instead, it seemed to galvanize them.
Amorim’s Tactical Stubbornness Under Scrutiny
United supporters will have questions about Amorim’s decisions. Even with a numerical advantage, he persisted with his 3-4-3 shape for the full 90 minutes, refusing to overload central areas against a retreating Everton block. The result was predictable: sterile possession, slow circulation, and very few attempts to play between the lines.
With width but no penetration, Everton defended comfortably.
Amorim’s anniversary match—one year since his first game in charge, a draw at Ipswich—felt like a step backward rather than a milestone of progress.
What’s Next for United?
Manchester United remain mid-table, a place that feels far too familiar. The performance, more than the result, triggered flashbacks to last season’s collapse. Amorim knows that perception can snowball quickly.
“This cannot be who we are becoming again,” he said.
If United are truly to avoid a return to the darkness of 2024–25, this loss must serve as a warning—not a prophecy.
