Manchester United enjoy home comforts but Everton get a warning

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side beat Everton to conclude a positive pre-season which will have reinvigorated returning fans

Manchester United’s commercial department will disagree, but the benefits of not traipsing around the globe in pre-season are paying dividends for Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The United manager is under no illusions he must deliver this season and, on the evidence of a comfortable 4-0 friendly stroll against Everton, his squad is well-prepared for the considerable challenge of closing the gap on Manchester City.

Bruno Fernandes celebrated sweeping a stunning free-kick past Jordan Pickford in a manner more befitting a decisive Premier League fixture than the final warm-up game of the summer. Juan Mata and Fred gave the midfielder a standing ovation on the bench. Mason Greenwood started the rout with a sharp finish after a mix-up between Everton left-back Lucas Digne and Pickford.

Related: Time to find out which Premier League overhauls have worked out | Karen Carney

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