Manchester United vs Watford LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today

Manchester City have not dropped points in consecutive league fixtures since December 2020 when they were held to draws by Manchester United and West Brom.

They are looking to avoid losing successive league games for only the third time under Pep Guardiola. Guardiola has lost just three of 67 Premier League matches against teams led by English managers (W59, D5).

Everton have already lost 13 league matches this campaign, as many as they did in the whole of last season. Twelve of those defeats have come in their last 16 league fixtures.

The Toffees have scored eight first-half goals, the fewest in the division. Manchester City have scored more goals in each half of their matches than Everton’s overall total of 28 this season.

Everton’s tally of 14 home league defeats since the beginning of last season is the most in the top flight.

It may still be the case that Manchester United have only lost once since the 4-1 defeat at Vicarage Road which led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and Ralf Rangnick’s interim appointment but draws like these are slowly eroding hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League.

Solskjaer’s conquerors Watford, under new management themselves, will celebrate this goalless draw at Old Trafford, even if the point does little to help Roy Hodgson’s side in their battle against the drop. It was yet another afternoon when United had their chances but did not take them.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s form is especially concerning. The Portuguese looked every inch the 37-year-old centre-forward that he is and may be contemplating whether he can stomach a season outside of European football’s elite competition. If he decides not, that may be the best thing for all parties concerned.

United remain fourth, two points clear of fifth-place Arsenal, but have played three games more. And worryingly, this visit of a Watford side sat second-bottom could be viewed as the last in a run of favourable fixtures dating all the way back to early December.

After next week’s derby at the Etihad, top-four rivals Tottenham pay a visit with the return leg against Atletico Madrid following three days later. Even if the subsequent trip to Anfield is postponed due to the FA Cup quarter-finals, as seems likely, Rangnick is entering a defining period.

Mark Critchley’s match report from Old Trafford:

Pep Guardiola admitted he will only get a true read on how his players have reacted to last week’s defeat against Tottenham when they face Everton on Saturday.

City saw a 15-match unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end when Harry Kane struck in stoppage time to give Spurs a 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium, just moments after it appeared that Riyad Mahrez had rescued a point for Guardiola’s side from the penalty spot.

That defeat has allowed Liverpool to close what had been a 13-point gap in the title race to just three having played their games in hand, though with Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Carabao Cup final this weekend, City have an opportunity to create some more breathing space on Saturday.

Everton’s only victory in the last 17 Premier League meetings was a 4-0 win in January 2017. It remains Pep Guardiola’s biggest top-flight defeat as a manager.

Manchester City have won each of their last four away league games against Everton, which is as many as they managed in their first 20 visits to Goodison Park in the Premier League.

Everton are on a run of eight straight league defeats against City. Their only longer losing streaks are 13 versus Portsmouth between 1947 and 1956, and nine to Manchester United between 1999 and 2004.

The final Premier League game of the day kicks off in around 30 minutes time as Everton take on Manchester City at Goodison Park. Here’s a reminder of the two sides:

Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Kenny, Allan, Doucoure, Van de Beek, Iwobi, Gordon, Richarlison

Man City XI: Ederson, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Foden, Sterling

The three Premier League games that kicked off at 3pm have now all finished. Here are the results:

Brentford 0 - 2 Newcastle

Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Burnley

Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford

Aston Villa are two goals up against Brighton with 20 minutes to play in that one as well.

68 mins: Over at the Amex Stadium Aston Villa have doubled their lead. Tyrone Mings sends the ball into the area and it drops over the head of Joel Veltman and drops to Ollie Watkins who makes no mistakes in front of goal and slots it home. There’s breathing space now for Villa.

Manchester United remain fourth in the table but as the race for the Champions League spots it so close they’ll think they’ve dropped two points in this one. They did everything but score against Watford.

For their part, Watford move another step closer to safety and trail Everton by three points even though the Toffees have three games in hand on them.

90+3 mins: Bruno Fernandes blasts a shot from range but it’s claimed by Ben Foster who keeps hold of the ball. The clock runs down and Watford cling on to claim a great point against Manchester United.