LONDON — Manchester City will be hoping Everton can improve their 20-year Old Trafford jinx this weekend as they aim to stay in touch with Manchester United in the Premier League title race.
After the bitter disappointment of last week’s FA Cup semi-final exit to Liverpool, Everton travel to United tomorrow daunted by the knowledge that they have not won at the home of the champions for two decades.
Since a 3-0 win at Old Trafford back in 1992, the Toffees’ record reads played 18, lost 15 and drawn three. Yet City’s ex-Everton defender Joleon Lescott is backing his former club to get a result against United that could potentially have a pivotal effect on the final few weeks of the battle for the title. Lescott revealed he has been cajoling his former teammates via text message this week in a light-hearted attempt to motivate the Toffees. “They had a big disappointment at the weekend against Liverpool, but I’ll be sending them a few more texts going in to Sunday! (tomorrow)” Lescott said. “We are aware of the situation. Everton are never an easy team to play against, especially for us, and hopefully not for United on Sunday (tomorrow).” If Everton avoid defeat at Old Trafford in tomorrow’s early kick-off, City will have the opportunity to cut United’s lead at the top to either three or two points when they travel to bottom club Wolves later in the day. That would in turn set up a potential title decider at Eastlands on April 30 when United travel across Manchester to face City, who rediscovered their best form last week with a 6-1 thrashing of Norwich at Carrow Road. Lescott believes the return of Carlos Tevez, who struck a brilliant hat-trick, has contributed to City’s revival. “I don’t think there’s a reason for it, or that someone noticed and said ‘Right, this is what we need to get back to winning ways’ or to start playing again the way we were earlier in the season,” Lescott said. —Reuters