Manchester United 1-1 Everton: 5 talking points from Goodison Park
For the umpteenth time this season, Manchester United blew a massive chance to close in on Chelsea in a 1-1 draw against Everton.
The Red Devils were off to a truly disastrous start, with David de Gea‘s horrendous error allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to open the scoring inside 3 minutes.
United largely dominated the first half following the goal, with the in-form Bruno Fernandes inevitably scoring after half an hour with a rasping long-range effort that crept in at Jordan Pickford‘s near post.
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Frustratingly for Ole Gunnar Solskjær, it was backs-to-the-wall for United in the second half, with Everton continuously driving forward in search of a winner.
After a stunning point blank save by Pickford, the Toffees thought they’d scored in stoppage time after Calvert-Lewin’s shot was deflected in by Harry Maguire.
VAR was once again involved in a controversial decision, as the goal was disallowed with Richarlison being deemed to be interfering with play.
The fiery encounter, which saw 7 yellow cards, will feel like a point dropped for both sides. United remain 3 points behind 4th-placed Chelsea.
Here are 5 talking points from the match.
5. Ole’s tactical gamble backfires
Daniel James was left out of the squad after picking up a knock on Thursday, which meant that Solskjær fielded four central midfielders – Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Fred and Fernandes.
This was in spite of the availability of Juan Mata – who was magnificent in the Europa League against Brugge. The lack of a proper wide attacker on the left meant that United struggled to make inroads down that side.
Fred was largely positioned there in the first half, and while he still impressed with the ball, the Brazilian simply couldn’t provide the pace and directness of James.
The Welshman’s injury highlighted United’s lack of depth out wide. Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard were options, but it’s an indication of their terrible form that Solskjær didn’t consider either of them as even late substitutes.
Jadon Sancho continues to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, and it’s becoming apparent that a winger should be high on Ed Woodward’s list of priorities for the summer.