'Everton deserved more' - Ruben Amorim refuses to get carried away in 'honest' assessment of thumping Man Utd win as he addresses Champions League chances

Two goals apiece from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee inspired United to a 4-0 victory over the Toffees in what was Amorim's first Premier League home game at Old Trafford. The result pushes United up to 19 points, trailing Brighton by four in the race for the coveted Champions League spots.

When asked about Manchester United's prospects of securing a top-four finish, Amorim offered a measured response.

“I will be judged [on] the place that we finish. If I said no you will say that I cannot be a Manchester United manager,” said the 39-year-old to reporters. “I want to be honest with our fans – so let’s focus on the performance, not the results. Let’s focus just on the next game and look at the performance. Thursday [against Bodø/Glimt] it was 3-2, but I think we deserved more. Today was 4-0 – but I think Everton deserved [more]. So let’s focus on the performance.”

Zirkzee had faced criticism for a slow start to his United career. And eyebrows were raised when Amorim decided to give him a start over Rasmus Hojlund, who had scored twice in their recent Europa League clash against Bodo/Glimt.

“It would have been really hard for Rasmus to fight with the two centre-backs of Everton so we tried to push them to a position they are not so comfortable with,” he explained. “Josh did a great job, scored two goals which is always important for the confidence, and more important than that is the performance and how he fought in every situation. It was a good day for him and our team.”

With momentum on their side, Manchester United now turn their attention to a high-stakes encounter against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. The Gunners, currently second in the Premier League standings, pose a significant challenge for Amorim’s team but the manager hopes his side can replicate their recent form against a tougher opposition.