Everton 1, Manchester United 1
VAR rescued Manchester United deep in injury time at Everton after goalkeeping errors by David De Gea and Jordan Pickford left both sides level at Goodison Park.
Embed from Getty ImagesDominic Calvert-Lewin and Bruno Fernandes were the recipients of large slices of luck during the game, with Calvert-Lewin having an injury time winner ruled out for offside.
The scrappy game on Merseyside lacked quality but wasn’t short of drama right at the end as Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was sent off after remonstrating with referee Chris Kavanagh following an injury time VAR ruling that deprived Everton of an injury time winner by Calvert-Lewin.
Both David De Gea and Jordan Pickford may had made errors leading to goals but both also made great saves in an action packed finish at Goodison Park to share the points.
United held on to their fifth place on goal difference from Wolves, three points behind Chelsea in fourth, but only two points separate United in fifth and Sheffield United in eighth.
Old Gunnar Solskjaer made five changes to the side that beat Club Brugges last Thursday.
Sergio Romero, Eric Bailly, Juan Mata, Daniel James, and Odéon Ighalo stepped down to be replaced by David De Gea, Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Mason Greenwood, and Anthony Martial.
And the game at a furious pace, punctuated by another De Gea error that led to an opposition goal after just three minutes.
De Gea hesitated on the ball in his own area until Calvert-Lewin put him under pressure to clear it but the Spaniard’s clearance ricocheted off the Everton striker’s outstretched boot and into the net.
It was the seventh such error by De Gea leading to a goal in the Premier League since the start of last season, joining Martin Dubravka and Bernd Leno.
De Gea made the save from Calvert-Lewin a minute later as Everton played the striker into space with a ball over the top a minute later.
United were stunned and could have been level soon after the inauspicious start.
Nemanja Matic had two shots on goal, hitting the crossbar with one effort and seeing a long range effort saved by Jordan Pickford in a thundering start to the game.
Everton lost Seamus Coleman to injury during the first half and that put them out of their stride, with United taking full advantage.
Jordan Pickford error follows David De Gea mistake to leave the scores level
The Reds levelled the game when Everton’s efforts to play the ball out failed and Matic slipped in Bruno Fernandes whose 25 yard curling effort went in under the outstretched arms of Jordan Pickford.
It was another high profile error by the England ‘keeper under the watchful gaze of Gareth Southgate and Fernandes celebrated his third United goal in three games and his first from open play.
The home side could have taken the lead just before the break but Luke Shaw put Richarlison under pressure which saw the Brazilian striker put his header from wide.
And after half time Everton passed up the chance to retake the lead when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick went over the wall but, with De Gea beaten, hit the woodwork and Richarlison couldn’t get the follow-up on target.
Calvert-Lewin’s shot was saved by De Gea as the temperature rose again at Goodison Park and Fred was booked for deliberate handball just outside the United box but the resulting free kick was blocked by the wall.
Juan Mata and Odion Ighalo were introduced with less than 20 minutes to go with Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay making way.
Leighton Baines narrowly avoided putting through his own net while defending a United corner while Fernandes saw his shot saved by Pickford with the corner count racking up but without either side troubling the other in the final stages.
Fernandes’ shot was blocked by Pickford while Ighalo’s follow-up was also saved by the Everton ‘keeper after Maguire’s header saw the ball go loose in the Everton box after a touch by Mata.
And De Gea matched that by saving from Sigurdsson but Calvert-Lewin’s follow-up deflected off Maguire’s heels and went past De Gea deep in injury time but it was ruled out by VAR for an offside with Sigurdsson still grounded in front of De Gea and in his eyeline.
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was red carded for his part in remonstrating with referee Chris Kavanagh after full time.
MATCH STATS – Everton 1, Manchester United 1
Everton: Pickford, Coleman (Sidibe 28), Keane, Holgate, Baines, Walcott (Bernard 63), Davies, Gomes (Kean 82), Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
Everton Subs not used: Virginia, Delph, Mina, Iwobi
Booked: Davies, Calvert-Lewin, Sidibe
Sent Off: Carlo Ancelotti FT (remonstrating with Chris Kavanagh after the final whistle)
Goal: Calvert-Lewin 3
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Matic, McTominay (Mata 72), Fred, Fernandes, Greenwood (Ighalo 72), Martial (Williams 89)
Man Utd Subs not used: Romero, Bailly, Lingard, Pereira
Booked: Maguire, Shaw, Lindelof, Fred
Goal: Fernandes 31
Referee: Chris Kavanagh