Manchester United came back from the dead to secure a 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park after what was a tense Premier League encounter.
While United trailed for the majority of the encounter, a moment of magic from skipper Bruno Fernandes provided his team with the inspiration they needed to launch a nailbiting comeback.
Following a poor run of form in the Premier League, with three defeats in their last five outings, United would have been desperate to come away with a decent result at Goodison Park, where former manager David Moyes has been finding his groove since taking the helm at Everton.
Mere minutes after kick-off, Noussair Mazraoui was escorted off the field by the medical staff after experiencing trouble with his knee. Fortunately, this setback would not rule him out of the contest, as he would soon return to action.
Five minutes in, Jack Harrison found Beto with a well-struck cross. Beto headed the ball goalwards, with Andre Onana making a comfortable save.
12 minutes in, Bruno Fernandes threaded a neat ball through to Patrick Dorgu, who embarked on an impressive sprint down the left flank. Dorgu thumped a ball into the centre for Rasmus Hojlund to collect, only for Jordan Pickford to intercept.
Six minutes later, Harry Maguire made a sliding challenge to cut out a dangerous cross from Jesper Lindstrøm.
The subsequent corner resulted in a chaotic goalmouth scramble, with United defenders attempting four headers to try to clear the ball from danger. With United unable to get any distance on the ball, Everton regained possession, with Abdoulaye Doucouré heading the ball to Beto, who thumped the ball into the back of the net from close range.
It was another defensive disaster class from United, showing just how many holes Ruben Amorim’s team has at the back.
32 minutes in, the hosts doubled their lead. After collecting the ball in their own final third, Everton charged up the field, with Beto playing a witty through ball to Harrison. Despite initially stumbling, he was able to regain his composure and take a shot, forcing a parry from Onana. Abdoulaye Doucouré collected the loose ball, heading it into the net to secure a 2-0 lead.
It was poor goalkeeping from Onana, who should have at least had the awareness to track back after the loose ball if not catch the initial shot from Harrison.
Four minutes from half-time, Manuel Ugarte attempted a long-range effort that breezed well wide. Still, it was the first shot United had taken in the entire match.
Given the numerous stoppages, six minutes of added time was awarded before the break. Dorgu was brought down outside the box by Jake O’Brien to hand United a dangerous free-kick. Unfortunately, the Everton defence proved resolute, refusing to allow United to penetrate.
2-0, the score remained following a shambolic showing from United. Amorim would need to make drastic changes to his strategy in order to turn what was a humiliating match around.
It was a slow start to the second half, with United struggling to take any shots despite pushing up into Everton’s final third.
Past the hour mark, Amorim made his first substitution of the match. Alejandro Garnacho came on to replace a tired Casemiro.
In the 65th minute, a surgical cross from O’Brien found Doucouré, whose thunderous volley was denied by an outstretched Onana.
On the stroke of 70 minutes, two more changes were made. Chido Obi came on for Hojlund, while Leny Yoro replaced Mazraoui.
Just moments later, a moment of hope arrived for United. The team received a free-kick following a handball near the box.
Fernandes took a sublime free-kick, thumping the ball into the far corner. At least at 2-1, United had something of a lifeline.
Ashley Young brought down Garnacho to hand United another dangerous free-kick.
While Fernandes’ cross was blocked, Ugarte pounced on the deflection, hitting a sublime volley to score a breathtaking equaliser. 2-2, the score was with just 10 minutes left to play.
Soon after the restart, Fernandes found Dorgu with a through ball, only for Everton to clear it out for a corner. Suddenly, United appeared to be brimming with confidence.
After Fernandes crossed the ball into the box, it appeared as if Young handled the ball, yet the referee did not award a penalty. VAR upheld the referee’s decision.
Moments from the 90th minute, Fernandes hit a lethal shot from a long distance that Pickford tipped over the crossbar. United certainly appeared to have the momentum in the dying moments of the game.
Five minutes of stoppage time were announced as Joshua Zirkzee drilled a through ball into the box that the goalkeeper saved.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Onana made a decent save to deny Idrissa Gueye. Just then, Maguire brought down Young in the box, with the referee pointing to the spot amid a chorus of United protests.
Still, he made his way to the sideline to review the decision after VAR intervened.
United were then able to breathe a sigh of relief as the referee overruled his original decision. It was a soft touch on Young by Maguire, with the Everton player going down far too easily.
While United launched a respectable comeback to secure the draw, Amorim will be dissatisfied with his team’s poor first-half performance. it was another shambolic star to the match for this shaky United side.
Starting XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire, Fernandes, Hojlund, Zirkzee, Dorgu, Casemiro, Dalot, Ugarte
Subs: Garnacho, Obi, Yoro
Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
