Manchester United in good form heading into FA Cup semi-final
A 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night was the third victory in a row for Manchester United, after relegating Aston Villa on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win, and edging past West Ham United 2-1 in last week's FA Cup quarter-final replay.
It is the first time the Red Devils have managed the feat since the end of February and Louis van Gaal's men couldn't have wished for a better time to be in such good form in the lead up to Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against a struggling Everton.
Seeking their first victory in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, the Toffees produced a lacklustre performance and went down 4-0 to a dominant Liverpool side, which they will look to bounce back from this weekend.
The two sides have met at this stage before in the 2009 semi-final. A 0-0 stalemate saw it go to extra time and a penalty shoot-out, which Everton won 4-2.
However, it is United, who have defeated Everton twice already this season in the Premier League, who are at evens to reach the final in the FA Cup betting odds at the time of writing.
Wayne Rooney excelled in a deeper attacking role for the game against Palace and looks likely to play there against his former club, with Marcus Rashford set to be at the front of the Manchester attack. Rashford has been in exceptional form, netting seven times in 13 games so far this season for his side, with his most recent goal coming against Aston Villa last weekend.
The youngster is 5/1 to score first in his debut FA Cup semi-final and 13/8 to score anytime, with captain Rooney being offered at the same price. The ex-Everton youngster scored in the away fixture at Goodison Park and will look to guide his team to their first FA Cup final in nine years.
With Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy on fire for their respective clubs, the England skipper is under increased pressure for a place in the Three Lions' European Championship starting line-up. However, good performances in the FA Cup could sway Roy Hodgson in favour of Rooney.
Ending the West Ham's quest for a fourth FA Cup last week, United will rely on the consistent performance of David De Gea in goal to keep out the threat of Gerard Deulofeu, Ross Barkley, and the man who has scored 26 goals this season, Romelu Lukaku.
De Gea has managed four clean sheets in United's last six games and has been instrumental for his team all season. United have conceded 30 goals in the Premier League with only Tottenham conceding fewer (25).
Despite the late kick-off time frustrating travelling supporters, it is set to be an exciting semi-final with both sides battling for a place in the final on May 21.
