LIVERPOOL: Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho scored with a magical overhead kick in the third minute to send the visitors on their way to a 3-0 win on Sunday over an Everton who are rooted in the first Premier League relegation zone game after being docked 10 points.

The 19-year-old Argentine leapt acrobatically to meet Diogo Dalot’s cross, firing the ball into the opposite corner past stranded goalkeeper Jordan Pickford before celebrating with a Cristiano Ronaldo-style pirouette at Goodison Park.

A Marcus Rashford penalty and clever Anthony Martial finish wrapped up the victory in the second half. Garnacho’s stunning strike drew comparisons to Wayne Rooney’s famous goal for United in the 2011 Manchester derby.

“Superb — something amazing and I have no words to describe it. It is out of this world. Special from a special kid,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes. “I still expect more from him we are aware of his capabilities, we know what he can do in football.”

Erik ten Hag’s United team are now sixth in the standings on 24 points after 13 games while Sean Dyche’s Everton side, who were 14th before their points deduction for breaches of the league’s financial rules, are second-bottom on four points.

Rashford doubled United’s lead with a penalty in the 56th, awarded after VAR ruled Martial was tripped by Ashley Young. Fernandes handed the ball for the spot kick to Rashford, who had only scored once this season and not since Sept 3.

Martial then sent hundreds of Everton fans heading to the Goodison Park exits in the 75th minute when he ran onto Fernandes’s pass and dinked it over Pickford for an easy goal.

Everton had a flurry of shots near the end of the first half, the best being Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s shot from the edge of the box that Andre Onana pushed away before Dwight McNeil’s follow-up was cleared off the line by a sliding Kobbie Mainoo.

Everton fans turned Goodison into a sea of pink in protest at their points punishment, holding bright pink signs that read “Corrupt” under the Premier League’s lion’s head logo. They booed loudly during the pre-game playing of the league’s anthem.

“Ten points taken away from anyone will change their season,” Dyche said. “Until the appeals process goes through we have to play away the noise.”

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023