Who are Evans's toughest opponents?

Wednesday 15 November 2023 09:00

Our Fans' Q&A interviews always throw up some interesting topics for Manchester United players to ponder.

Jonny Evans was no exception, when we sat down with the Northern Ireland international at Carrington recently, and asked him a selection of questions sent in by Reds fans from across the globe.

One, from Amas in Morocco, certainly got the centre-back thinking, as he wanted to know the three most difficult players our former youth-teamer has come up against during his successful career to date.

Jonny Evans enjoyed a fine record when up against Luis Suarez.

“The three most difficult?" replied the defender. "Amas, that’s a tricky one.

"I would probably say I’ve played against some good strikers over the years and Luis Suarez would have been up there when he was at Liverpool. In the Brendan Rodgers team, when they had him and [Daniel] Sturridge up front as well, they were very dangerous. 

"[Didier] Drogba. And I’d probably have to put [Sergio] Aguero up there too.”

We certainly remember some tussles between Jonny and those rival strikers over the years.

He was unbeaten in four contests with Suarez (three wins) but the Uruguayan did score a consolation in a 2-1 reverse at Old Trafford in 2012, and was a handful to mark.

In 2009/10, a physical battle with Chelsea star Drogba featured a yellow card for simulation by the Ivory Coast international, although replays showed Evans did catch him in the chest with a high boot. The west Londoners won that match 1-0 and Jonny just about had the edge when he came up against the powerful African centre-forward. 

Our current no.35 was on the winning side three times, drew once and lost on two occasions, although one of those defeats came during one of his loan stints at Sunderland, when he first locked swords with the Blues legend. Furthermore, there was a penalty shootout defeat, with United, in the 2009 Community Shield, which was technically another draw.

Sergio Aguero proved tough to handle, when in his pomp at Manchester City.

It is only Aguero who clearly had the upper hand in the matches where they played against each other, albeit mostly after Evans left United in 2015.

The tally was one win apiece before then, Manchester City winning at Old Trafford and the Reds emerging victorious at the Etihad Stadium, although Jonny was replaced early in the second half by Chris Smalling, due to injury.

Aguero only actually scored once in those two games but Evans received a red card in the home fixture.

The Argentina attacker was then on the winning side in all seven of the times he faced the Belfast boy, during Jonny's time at West Brom and Leicester City.

Look out for the full Fans' Q&A with Jonny Evans, as he approaches a variety of subjects including advice for young defenders, the GOAT, his brother Corry and whether pineapple should go on pizza!

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