I had little hope that Everton would end their truly terrible record at the Theatre Of Dreams and so it proved with a two goal loss extending a season-long winless run that now stretches to eleven Premier League matches.
In typical style, the theme of this incredibly frustrating and chaotic campaign continued with the Toffees creating chances and then fluffing them only to be punished of course for their profligacy.
In truth Everton didn't really do enough to win but could have at least brought a point back to Merseyside.
As expected manager Sean Dyche set his side up as usual away from home and stuck with Beto as his starting striker following his goal in the game against West Ham last weekend.
A number of players had good chances with Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison again spurning them in the first period.
But while the underlying story of the match will again be the lack of goalscoring ability in this team and the opportunities missed, it was an unusually lapse day from the visitors defenders that will grab the headlines.
The Blues defence has been the one rock-like constant in an otherwise hugely difficult season of change and uncertainty both on and off the pitch.
In particular, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite have been extremely reliable and excellent forming one of the league's best central defensive partnerships. And since he has returned to the team recently Ben Godfrey has rarely put a foot wrong either.
This afternoon though both Tarkowski and Godfrey conceded needless penalties that gifted an equally unimpressive United the lead which they never looked like relinquishing.
Both those spot kicks were of course slotted home by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford respectively to give the home side a comfortable halftime advantage.
Dyche rang the changes in the second half in a vain attempt to find a goal with Andre Gomes (fit after being a potential doubt) Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lewis Dobbin and Yousef Chermiti all brought on.
It didn't work though with Calvert-Lewin and Dobbin involved in a bizarre moment when they almost passed the ball back across the goal to each other instead of scoring!
And so Everton slipped to another defeat that leaves them once again looking over their shoulder at the teams just below them.