Everton have moved into the top half of the Premier League table for the first time in four months after thrashing Manchester United 3-0 in their clash at Goodison Park.
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The visitors were quickest out of the starting blocks as former Toffee Marouane Fellaini had a long-range effort blocked in the first few minutes, while Luke Shaw saw plenty of the ball down the left flank.
Everton soaked up the pressure well and hit United on the counter, with Antonio Valencia's failure to clear Gareth Barry's drive upfield giving the hosts the chance to maraud into the opposition box.
James McCarthy duly powered through half-hearted challenges from Paddy McNair and Daley Blind before slotting under David de Gea and into the net to break the deadlock in the fifth minute.
Louis van Gaal's charges set about trying to equalise and came close just two minutes later when Fellaini barged an Everton defender off the ball and tried his luck from 20 yards, but the effort soared high over the bar.
The game continued to provide high-tempo action at both ends as Leon Osman swivelled and fired a shot at goal that De Gea managed to hold, while Blind and Chris Smalling threatened Tim Howard with chances of their own.
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Despite United's best efforts, they could not contain an incisive Everton side that soon doubled their lead from a 35th-minute corner that was whipped towards the near post, where John Stones rose high to thump a header home.
The resolute Toffees could have had a third on the stroke of half time, but Ross Barkley's effort from Aaron Lennon's cutback was blasted over the bar.
United immediately applied pressure after the restart as Smalling nodded the ball on to Wayne Rooney at the far post, with the former Everton prodigy controlling on his chest and forcing a save from Howard with a quickfire shot.
Both sides settled slowly back into the game as they probed forward without really threatening the opposition goalkeeper, but this changed when the hosts killed the contest off in the 73rd minute.
Barkley's loft forward, aimed at the offside Romelu Lukaku, was missed by the United defence as they expected the whistle to blow.
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Kevin Mirallas, however, charged forward from an onside position to claim the ball, bear down on goal and fire a low finish past De Gea which referee Andre Marriner let stand.
The Red Devils did manage to get the ball into the back of the Everton net nine minutes before the end through Radamel Falcao, but the effort was disallowed for offside.
Everton then came within a whisker of adding a fourth in the 85th minute through Mirallas, but De Gea managed to palm away the Belgian's long-range strike.
The result means that the Toffees climb to 10th place in the Premier League table, while United remain fourth.
Giuseppe Labellarte
