LIVERPOOL
\nErik ten Hag is hoping Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s 700th club goal of his career can spark a return to form after the Portuguese scored the winner in Manchester United\u2019s 2-1 win at Everton on Sunday. The five-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner has had to get used to life on the sidelines under Ten Hag after starting just once in the Premier League this season.
\nRonaldo was again left on the bench but was handed an early introduction by an injury to Anthony Martial. The 37-year-old took his chance just before half-time to give United a deserved three points from an error-strewn game by both sides.
\n\u201cEvery player needs it (confidence), even when you are the best in the world,\u201d said Ten Hag after Ronaldo\u2019s first Premier League goal of the season.
\n\u201cI worked with many goalscorers and they need the goals in every season to have that feeling, that confirmation of the intuition. \u201cOnce they have some goals, they come in a flow and games go easier. That will happen with him as well.\u201d
\nThe Red Devils were seeking a response to being thrashed 6-3 by Manchester City last weekend but got off to the worst possible start.
\nOn his first Premier League start since arriving for \u00a360 million ($67 million) from Real Madrid, Casemiro was culpable for the opening goal as he was robbed in possession by Amadou Onana and the ball eventually broke for Alex Iwobi to curl into the top corner from outside the box.
\nEverton came into the game with the best defensive record in the league, but were quickly undone as United levelled within 10 minutes.
\nAntony became the first United player to score in his first three Premier League games with a cool finish from Martial\u2019s pass.
\nMartial only lasted half an hour after pulling up with a hip injury in the warm-up.
\nHis departure paved the way for Ronaldo to make his entrance and he took just 14 minutes to make his mark.
\nCasemiro made amends for his earlier error by winning possession in midfield and playing in his former Real Madrid teammate to fire low under Jordan Pickford.
\nThat strike took Ronaldo\u2019s tally in two spells with United to 144.
\nMadrid\u2019s record goalscorer hit 450 for the Spanish giants, while he scored 101 times for Juventus and five for Sporting Lisbon.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s one of the greatest players to have graced the game,\u201d said Everton boss Frank Lampard. \u201cYou can do nothing but admire those numbers.\u201d
\nRonaldo should have had a second just before the hour mark as he nodded wide from another teasing delivery from Casemiro.
\nEverton had been on a seven-game unbeaten run, but offered little in the search of an equaliser until a late aerial assault and were lucky to avoid conceding a third goal 10 minutes from time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LIVERPOOL Erik ten Hag is hoping Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s 700th club goal of his career can spark a return to form after the Portuguese scored the winner in Manchester United\u2019s 2-1 win at Everton on Sunday. The five-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner has had to get used to life on the sidelines under Ten Hag after starting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-288569","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n