Hits and misses: Knotweed back at Man Utd? Top four gone for Arsenal?

So much change yet so much still the same at United

This high-stakes clash was the polar opposite of the encounter between Liverpool and Manchester's other club this weekend. Man City vs Liverpool represents a meeting of two of the game's greatest minds, a masterpiece between the league's title protagonists in a class of their own.

By contrast, Goodison Park hosted a festival of the doomed involving two clubs in desperate need of a reset. But Everton are not dead. This was a step in the right direction.

It was this month three years ago that they produced arguably their best performance of the Farhad Moshiri era against Manchester United, outclassing them 4-0 to provoke a memorable rebuke from Gary Neville.

The defeat exposed all the problems facing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. A fifth successive away defeat for the first time since 1981 would contribute to their failure to qualify for the Champions League.

"I've often said that clubs over the last seven years, if you've got weeds in the garden, then you've got to get rid of them," said Neville.

"But there's some Japanese knotweed at that football club and it's attacking the foundations of the house. It needs dealing with properly."

So much has changed and yet so much has stayed the same at United, who look no closer to competing for the big prizes.

Despite coming off in the 64th minute, Marcus Rashford attempted more shots at goal (3) and had more touches in the opposition's box (6) than any other player in the match. It is scant consolation for the disgruntled travelling fans but the forward looking a bit more like his old self is a small crumb of comfort that Rangnick can take with him back to Manchester.Ben Grounds

The beauty of the way Manchester City play football is that