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Match report: “A rousing fightback does not camouflage the extent to which Ruben Amorim and Manchester United were reprieved,” writes Andy Hunter from Goodison Park. “The visitors recovered from two goals down to salvage a point against in-form Everton, but only after a penalty awarded to David Moyes’ team was controversially overturned in the 96th minute.”
“I think it was a soft touch from what I saw,” says the United manager of the late penalty (in)decision in an interview with TNT Sports. “I think it was a soft penalty, it was clear.”
Moving on from the controversy, the United boss thinks his own players were similarly soft. “We need to win three points and we need to win the whole game,” he says. “The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do. We were soft. In training, we have to continue to do the same. In the second half, we changed nothing. We have to do the same thing but in a good way. We have to improve on creating chances and in this game also we struggle with scoring goals.”
On his side’s lack of consistency: “I don’t know, if I know,” he says. “I will change it. Everything we do in the week, we have to do better in the game. In this moment, we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season and then we can think ahead. I don’t want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to win this game.”
From the Premier League’s match centre X account: And it seems to be as I suspected: “VAR checked the referee’s call of penalty to Everton for a challenge by Maguire on Young and deemed that no foul had been committed and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and play restarted with an indirect free-kick.”
That penalty shout: Here is my read on the penalty decision – after Onana saved from Gueye’s shot, the ball broke free in the United penalty area. As Young reacted and tried to get to it, he had his shirt pulled by Matthijs De Ligt and was then grabbed around the hip by Harry Maguire. He went to ground and Andy Madley immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. It seemed a good decision – fairly cut and dried.
Upon being sent to his pitchside monitor by the lads in Stockley Park, Madley studied replays of the pertinent passage of play from only one TV angle, an angle that didn’t show De Ligt’s shirt-pull but did show Maguire’s grab around the waist. On that basis, he seems to have ignored the shirt-tug and decided Maguire’s foul wasn’t worthy of a penalty. Other opinions are available, so don’t @ me.
Premier League: Left clinging on for dear life after allowing Manchester United to come back from two goals down through strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, Everton thought they’d been given an opportunity to win this game with a late, late penalty for what appeared to be a blatant foul/fouls on Ashley Young by one or both of Matthijs De Ligt and Harry Maguire.
Having awarded the penalty without hesitation, Andy Madley was sent to his pitchside monitor by his VAR personnel and overturned the original decision. It’s a let-off for United but following a brilliant second half they probably deserved a point for their superb fightback.
Penalty or no penally, that was the VAR question. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
90+10 min: From that corner, the ball is scrambled behind for another but it won’t be taken. The referee, who is not popular around Goodison Park way, blows for full-time. The spoils are shared after a wonderful game of football. That second half was an absolute thriller.
90+8 min: Pickford rushes out of his goal to prevent Garnacho getting to a loose ball, while Everton’s fans shout “Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!” at the referee. United win a corner …
Wow! I am surprised by that decision! The progress of Ashley Young looked to have been blatantly impairted by both De Ligt and Harry Maguire as he tried to reach that ball but Andy Madley has changed his mind after consulting his monitor.
Was Everton’s Ashley Young brought down by Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire? Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images/Reuters
90+4 min: Ashley Young has his shirt tugged by De Ligt, who was trying to prevent him getting to a breaking ball after Onana had made a save from Gueye. Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot without hesitation. There’s a VAR check but I can’t see this being overturned. Ooh, Andy Madley is being sent to his pitchside monitor …
90+3 min: This is breathelss, terrific, end-to-end football. Garnacho appeals for a penalty after being beaten to a low Zirkzee cross by Gueye … oh my, what’s this?!?!?!
90+1 min: Garnacho cuts in from the left and eschews a shooting opportunity in favour of playing the ball to Zirkzee on the right side of the area. His low cross-shot into the box is too close to Pickford. Everton break upfield and Young wins a corner. United clear.
90 min: Garnacho has a shot blocked by Brantwaithe and the ball breaks to Fernades outside the area. His right-footed shot is tipped over the bar for a corner by Pickford. This is frantic stuff and Everton are clinging on by their fingertips
88 min: Beto leaps to connect with an Ashley Young cross from the right but is unable to generate enough power on his header to trouble Onana unduly.
86 min: Following a break in play for an injury to Jarrod Brantwaithe, play resumes. United had a penalty appeal for a handball turned down, not least because it hit Brantwaithe in the face. Hence the pause for the injury because the dazed defender had cartoon budgies tweeting around his head.
83 min: From being totally abject and 2-0 down in the first half, Manchester United are now going all out to win this game. It’s a remarkable turnaround, due in no small part to Bruno Fernades pulling the strings from a deeper midfield role ever since Casemiro went off.
82 min: Everton double-substitution: Tim Iroegbunam and Carlos Alcaraz on for Doucoure and Garner.
It’s all square! From the free-kick, Beto wins the header but can only clear the ball as far as Ugarte, a couple of yards outside the area. He chests it down and rifles an excellent left-footed shot through a forest of bodies and into the back of the net.
Bang: Manuel Ugarte of Manchester United scores a goal to make it 2-2. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
Hello: Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte celebrates scoring their second goal. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
79 min: Ashley Young gets booked for a late challenge on Garnacho.
78 min: Harry Maguire goes down in the Everton box under a nothing challenge from Jack Harrison as the duo contested a high ball. He appeals for a penalty but doesn’t get one and it would have been a travesty of justice if he had.
75 min: Their collective tail visibly up following that moment of Fernades magic, United go in search of an equaliser. They’re dominating possession but Everton are holding their shape and remaining resolute.
United pull a goal back! Bruno Fernades scores with a free-kick from two yards outside the Everton penalty area, some yards left of centre. Jordan Pickford was wrongfooted and helpless to stop the ball as it sailed through a gap in the defensive wall.
Pinpoint: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United scores from a free kick. Photograph: James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images
And celebrates. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
69 min: Garnacho, who is on for Casemiro, is fouled by Idrissa Gueye. It’s time for some more United substitutions: Leny Yoro and Chido Obi-Martin come on for Hojlund and Noussair Mazraoui.
67 min: Maguire is penalised for a cynical foul on Beto, who had got the wrong side of him and was threatening to break upfield. I don’t think he’s been booked and if that’s the case, he’s got away with one on this occasion.
66 min: Oof! Abdoulaye Doucoure meets a cross into the Manchester United penalty area from the right on the half-volley and brings a smart save out of Andre Onana.
64 min: Oh my. Matthijs De Ligt needlessly puts the ball out for an Everton corner after overhitting a what should have been a very straightforward backpass to Andre Onana. That is dreadful. Nothing comes of the set-piece and the Dutchman goes unpunished for his lapse in concentration.
62 min: Jarrad Brantwaithe gets multiple pats on the head and back from assorted Everton fans after running into an advertising hoarding. He’d just picked out Jordan Pickford with a quite remarkable backwards recovery header from the near post, over the head of Hojlund and into the hands of his goalkeeper to prevent the ball going out for a corner.
59 min: Everton appear to have factored in United’s increased sense of urgency in this second half and have adjusted accordingly. They’re taking what little their visitors can throw at them in their stride. It’s really difficult to see where any United goals are going to come from and they need at least two to rescue anything from this match.
57 min: A Mykolenko cross from the left is overhit and the ball carries through to Young on the right. He sends the ball into the United penalty area and it’s only half-cleared towards Harrison. His shot from a couple of yards outside the box is blocked.
55 min: Maguire goes down in the Everton area while trying to get on the end of a delivery form deep. He claims Tarkowski was tugging on his shirt and demands a spot-kick but neither the ref nor VAR are having it.
53 min: Everton win a corner and now Young comes on after a wait of a few minutes on the touchline. Harrison sends the ball into the area but Beto is unable to get a flick on the ball at the near post. United break forward at speed but Everton get numbers back.
52 min: I jumped the gun – Lindstrom hasn’t actually been replaced by Young yet, but it’s a substitution waiting to happen.
52 min: United are playing with far more aggression and intent in this second half, presumably having got the mother of all rollockings from their manager at the break. They’ve yet to threaten Jordan Pickford’s goal, however.
50 min: Everton substitution: Ashley Young on for Jesper Lindstrom, who has picked up a knock.
49 min: United win a corner. Bruno Fernades’s inswinger counts for nothing as Diogo Dalot is penalised for shoving as it whistled towards the edge of the six-yard box.
48 min: A Dorgu cross into the Everton box from the left is hooked clear by Jack Harrison. United get the ball into the penalty area again and this time it’s Jake O’Brien who dispatches it upfield.
47 min: Everton corner. The delivery is long towards the far post where Jarrod Brantwaithe’s downward header forces a save from Onana.
46 min: Play resumes with Everton on the ball and their visitors in dire need of a reaction after a dreadful first half in which they were second best in pretty much every single department and metric you can think of. What’s worrying for United fans is that these sort of dismal performances are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Nowhere to hide: Harry Maguire of Manchester United looks dejected. Photograph: Lewis Storey/Getty Images
An email: “I’m inclined to give Amorim a bit more leeway, even with the run of results,” writes Matt. “The bottom line is that there are deep issues at the club, and professionals don’t tend to play their hearts out for an unhappy workplace.
“Tactically, there’s more invention going forward despite not having many holding midfield options to attack through. Ten Hag’s obsession with “control” made it a dirty word in my lexicon, so I am still looking forward to seeing if he can win anything with kids after this year. No way around it though, this is pretty grim football.”
The players go off for the break and Everton are worth every bit of their two-goal lead. They’ve been vastly superior to United and truth be told, could and probably should be further ahead.
Beto scored their opener after United failed to clear a corner and Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled their lead with an opportunistic header after Andre Onana had saved from Jack Harrison but failed to clear the ball.
In stark contrast, United have offered little in the way of a threat up front and are staring down the barrel of yet another defeat under Ruben Amorim, who would not be human if he wasn’t pondering the wisdom – or lack thereof – of his life choices.
Everton at the double: Abdoulaye Doucoure (L) celebrates with Beto of Everton after scoring their 2nd goal. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
45+7: Doucoure gets a lucky break of the ball down the right and squares it towards Beto at the far post. Doucoure’s delivery nutmegs Maguire, but Mazraoui is on hand to intercept with an outstretched leg before the Everton striker can tap home. That’s good, desperate defending and now it’s half-time.
45+4 min: Gueye and Doucoure are playing wonderfully for Everton and have won three or four balls in midfield with strong challenges. on this occasion its Gueye who sends Fernandes sprawling with a strong and entirely legitimate block-tackle.
45+3 min: Jake O’Brien fouls Dorgu just outside the Everton penalty area after getting the wrong side of the United wing-back. The Irishman is booked, United have a free-kick on the left side of the area and Fernandes’ whipped delivery is cleared.
45+2 min: Cutting an extremely isolated figure up front for United, Hojlund receives a pass in the Everton box and holds the ball up until reinforcements arrive. Manchester United win a corner. The ball’s sent into the mixer, where Zirkzee heads it wide.
45 min: Looking incredibly comfortable on the ball and with United’s players chasing early afternoon shadows, Everton enjoy a period of sustained, hypnotic posssession before somebody in a Manchester United shirt finally puts the ball out for a throw-in. We’ll have six minutes of added time.
40 min: Lindstrom and Garner combine to great effect down the right flank and it’s the latter who squares for Beto. Instead of striking for goal first time, the Portuguese takes a touch, then another … then another before being crowded off the ball. Beto should have scored there, not least because he’s surfing what must be a tidal wave of confidence.
37 min: While it’s no great surprise that Everton are winning this game, it is a bit of a surprise that Manchester United have yet to muster anything resembling an attempt on the home side’s goal.
Ruben Amorim is presiding over a total shambles and the only solace he can take from this particular performance so far is that United’s best player has been his only signing for the club so far.
36 min: With Manchester United already on the ropes, we’ve had another break in play so Vitalii Mykolenko can get treatment on an injury to his ankle after being on the receiving end of a kick from Ugarte.
Everton double their lead! Beto squares the ball for Jack Harrison, who jinks inside a defender. Onana saves superbly but can only palm the ball towards the sky. Having continued a run from deep, Abdoulaye Doucoure is on hand to jump, beat Maguire to the loose ball and nod it home from six or seven yards. That’s a terrific poacher’s goal.
Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure scores their second goal. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Ruben Amorim knows that sinking feeling. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
31 min: Idrissa Gueye wins the ball high up the field and sprays it wide for Lindstrom.
29 min: Dalot goes down injured after getting caught on the ankle by a slightly late Mykolenko nip. Weirdly, it’s Everton who win the free-kick so I must have missed an initial indiscretion by Dalot.
28 min: United attack down the left again, with Dorgu and Fernandes combining to good effect. The January signing from Lecce wins a corner for his side but nothing comes of it. He looks a decent player.
27 min: United are really struggling to cope with the balls being sent into their penalty area from both flanks and Beto is proving quite the handful for their back three.
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