Everton vs Manchester United. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance39,290.
Everton 2
- Beto (19th minute)
- A Doucouré (33rd minute)
Manchester United 2
- B Fernandes (72nd minute)
- M Ugarte (80th minute)
Everton 2-2 Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes inspires comeback but Toffees rue late penalty being overturned
Report as injury-time drama at Goodison Park sees Everton penalty awarded and then overturned after Ashley Young goes down in the box; David Moyes' side had led 2-0 through Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure but Bruno Fernandes free-kick and Manuel Ugarte strike levelled it up
Sunday 23 February 2025 07:45, UK
Everton saw an injury-time penalty award controversially overturned following a VAR check after Bruno Fernandes inspired Manchester United's comeback to draw 2-2 at Goodison Park.
The United skipper had scored a free-kick and seen another set-piece lead to Manuel Ugarte slamming in a late equaliser - but it looked like Everton would have the chance to retake the lead when referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot three minutes into stoppage time.
Ashley Young had tumbled to the ground after Matthijs de Ligt appeared to pull his shirt and Harry Maguire put a hand on him - but VAR Matt Donohue sent the ref to the screen.
The focus of the pitchside check appeared to be on the contact by Maguire rather than the shirt pull and Madley decided to reverse his decision.
Everton boss David Moyes said: "So did they look at the shirt pull? So they only mentioned the bit they needed to? It looked to me as though the shirt pull was enough."
It capped an ultimately frustrating afternoon for Everton, who had looked well on course for an impressive victory at the break.
- Moyes shocked Man Utd escape shirt-pull check in late penalty drama
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Beto, rejuvenated under former United boss Moyes, continued his incredible scoring streak by slamming in his fifth goal in four Premier League games when United repeatedly failed to clear a corner. He'd only scored four in his previous 44 top-flight games.
That was the 11th time United have conceded from a corner situation in the league this season but such is their expanse of issues right now, they were carved open in open play for the second, with Abdoulaye Doucoure - another player ignited by Moyes' return to Goodison - eventually out-jumping Harry Maguire to head in the rebound to Jack Harrison's parried shot.
The pair almost combined on the stroke of half-time, with Noussair Mazraoui just getting across to prevent Doucoure's cross reaching Beto.
There was nowhere near the same level of threat at the other end - United have scored just once in the first half of their previous 17 matches. They didn't manage a shot on target in the opening 45 on Saturday. They didn't manage a shot at all until the 42nd minute.
The second half brought much of the same, with Andre Onana having to save well from Doucoure and United looking short on ideas. But Doucoure's handball from a free-kick allowed Fernandes to take another from a better position and when he caught out Jordan Pickford the mood changed, with Ugarte's leveller following soon after.
Before the late penalty drama, Beto and Fernandes went close to winning it but these sides remain separated by just a point, with Everton in 12th and United still down in 15th ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.
Moyes: You shouldn't get away with pulling jerseys
Everton boss David Moyes:
[When told the decision had been made on the Maguire foul] "So did they look at the shirt pull? So they only mentioned the bit they needed to? It looked to me as though the shirt pull was enough. I can only tell you what I have seen. I didn't know what you just told me.
"You shouldn't be getting away with pulling jerseys. If it was absolutely clear and obvious that he should go to the screen I didn't see that. I just thought the referee made the correct decision at the time and he should have stuck with it."
On Everton's performance: "I am hugely pleased we got a point because it is another point towards safety and that is the job. I am disappointed we didn't take all three. We played here last week and drew 2-2 against Liverpool and it felt like a win. Today's 2-2 felt not like a defeat but close to it."
Amorim: We didn't exist in the first half
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim:
"We just played one half and managed to draw. We didn't exist in the first half.
"Everything we did during the week. The free man was there and the space was there. We lost balls we can't lose.
"At half-time I said no matter the result we are going to do what we did during the week [training] but with more energy.
"It was not different in terms of our positioning but different in the quality we played the game."
He added: "In this moment, every stadium is really difficult, especially ours, with our fans supporting all the time.
"My goal is to win the next game to give some happiness to our fans because they deserve it a lot."
