Three Manchester United players told how Casemiro helped them vs Everton

After a shaky start, Casemiro grew into a pivotal player for Manchester United in their 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday.

The Brazilian lost possession for Alex Iwobi’s opener after five minutes and struggled to get a foothold in the game early on. The midfielder missed a gilt-edged chance midway through the half when he failed to direct his free header on target from Marcus Rashford’s sumptuous cross.

The 30-year-old even gave the ball away prior to assisting Cristiano Ronaldo’s 700th career club goal, but quickly won it back to tee up the match winner. He looked far more sturdy in the second period and lasted the full 90 minutes for just the second time in a United shirt.

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Antony had levelled the game on 15 minutes, the winger scoring in all three of his Premier League games so far. Rashford thought he had grabbed his sixth of the season towards the end of the game before VAR adjudged him to have handled the ball in the lead up.

He, Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes all put in solid showings as United went within a point of the top four thanks to the win. But speaking on BT Sport after the game, Joe Cole was impressed with the impact Casemiro had made.

He suggested his defensive duties allowed these attacking players to unleash their creativity going forward. He said: "Manchester United had to play and compete and having Casemiro there blocking the lines, giving a bit more strength in midfield, it allowed Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo to create chances."

Casemiro has started just three games since his arrival at United, the other two coming in the Europa League. Five more appearances have come from the bench.

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Anthony Martial