By Our Football Correspondent
OLD TRAFFORD – The hallowed turf of Old Trafford was once again the scene of a footballing nightmare last night as Everton pulled off a stunning 1-0 smash-and-grab, leaving Manchester United’s title ambitions—and their manager—in serious jeopardy.
This was not merely a defeat; it was a desecration of a fortress. The famous stadium, a cathedral of English football for decades, was reduced to a miserable pit of groans and fury as the Toffees, solid as a brick wall, clinically exposed every crack in Erik ten Hag’s crumbling dynasty.
For the faithful Red Army filling the giant stands, the 29th minute was a moment of sheer, gut-wrenching agony.
A lapse in concentration on the left flank allowed the ball to break free, and Dewsbury-Hall, a name that will now haunt the Red half of Manchester, slotted home the winner with ice in his veins.
The sound that followed was chilling. Instead of the defiant roar synonymous with this legendary Trafford ground, a miserable silence descended, briefly broken by the ecstatic—and rare—cheers from the travelling Everton faithful tucked high into the stands.
United desperately tried to salvage pride in the second half, throwing everything they had at the goal that backs onto the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.
But Everton’s keeper stood tall, and the lack of clinical edge from the home side was brutal. Shot after shot flew wide, high, or tamely into the gloves of the blue custodian.
Every time a pass went astray, every time a tackle was missed, the tension inside the 34-year-old stadium visibly cranked up. The shadows lengthened across the pitch, matching the deep, dark gloom settling over the Stretford End.
Manager Ten Hag was seen furiously gesticulating on the touchline, but it was too late.
When the final whistle blew, the booing was audible and angry. Old Trafford has seen legendary victories, but last night, it bore witness to a monumental humiliation.
The question now echoing around the deserted ground isn’t if United can recover, but how long their boss has left to try.
