Manchester United travel to Everton on Sunday afternoon knowing that they can move into second place in the table before Arsenal host Chelsea later in the day.

Everton have little but pride to play for, but Roberto Martinez will want to see his team extend their recent unbeaten run to six matches.

Everton

Martinez has endured a difficult season on Merseyside, but the signs are there that they will be finishing their campaign on a high.

A 2-0 defeat at Stoke City at the start of March sparked fears that the club could be dragged into a relegation battle, but since that setback, 13 points have been recorded from a possible 15.

Three of their wins have come by a one-goal margin, which will impress Martinez with his side effectively only playing for a place in the top half of the table at this stage of the season.

Martinez will also be happy that the recent absence of Romelu Lukaku hasn't hindered the club's form. The Belgian has netted 18 times this season, but the Toffees have showed that they aren't a one-man team.

Some questioned the decision to loan Aaron Lennon from Tottenham Hotspur in January, but the winger has netted twice in his last four games and won a penalty against Burnley last weekend.

Just two goals have been conceded during their improved run which can be put down to the reunion of Phil Jagielka and John Stones, with the 20-year-old missing a large chunk of the campaign through injury.

Recent form: LWWWDW
Recent form (all competitions): WLWWDW

Manchester United

Manchester United head into the game having suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at Chelsea manager Louis van Gaal refused to reflect negatively on the result.

Despite losing to the league leaders, Van Gaal described the performance as their best of the season, but the display lacked an equaliser and they remained in third place in the standings.

However, United had previously registered six successive victories in the league, something that hasn't been achieved since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, and there will be plenty of optimism ahead of their trip to Goodison Park.

Captain Wayne Rooney was forced to drop back into midfield last week, but the team missed his goals and he will be under consideration to play further forward against his former club.

From a defensive perspective, only one clean sheet has been recorded in their last six, but that run won't be of huge concern to Van Gaal.

However, with the announcement that the Champions League seeding system will change next season, Van Gaal knows that they need to keep earning points to avoid the possibility of featuring in a qualifying tie ahead of the group stages.

Recent form: WWWWWL
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWL

Team News

Martinez could recall Lukaku after the club's top goalscorer made a substitute appearance against Burnley last weekend.

Arouna Kone is likely to be the player to drop out, while Leon Osman and James McCarthy should be involved after recovering from groin and ankle injuries respectively.

United are once again without Michael Carrick, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones, but Daley Blind may be available after an ankle problem.

If the Dutchman can feature, he could take Rooney's place in midfield with the England skipper replacing Radamel Falcao in attack.

Full-back Rafael has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken rib.

Everton possible starting lineup:
Howard, Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Coleman, Barry, McCarthy, Mirallas, Barkley, Lennon, Lukaku

Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, McNair, Shaw, Mata, Blind, Herrera, Young, Fellaini, Rooney

Head To Head

Everton and Manchester United have met on 169 occasions, with United prevailing 76 times compared to 53 victories for Everton.

However, United's recent record at Goodison Park is less than impressive, with just one win being registered in six visits.

The reverse fixture in October ended in a 2-1 victory for United, who had Falcao to thank after he scored a rare goal at Old Trafford.

We say: Everton 1-3 Manchester United

Any fixture between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park is usually played at a ferocious pace and we expect no different on Sunday. However, United's superior quality could give them the edge and we expect them to finish strongly to wrap up the three points.