Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Bruno Fernandes traded first-half goals in a 1-1 draw between Everton and Manchester United on Sunday at Goodison Park.
Carlo Ancelotti was shown a red card after the final whistle for protesting a disallowed stoppage-time own goal from Harry Maguire.
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Jordan Pickford’s late double save kept the point with the Goodison Park side.
United remains fifth with 42 points, three back of Chelsea and eight behind Leicester City.
Everton’s 37 points are good for 11th, behind Arsenal on goal differential.
Three things we learned
1. VAR rules out Maguire own goal: Brutal stuff from Harry Maguire here -- what are you trying to do, guy? -- but VAR had the final word. There is plenty of room for debate as to whether there is a clear and obvious error in the call on the field of a goal.
David De Gea made a great initial save on what was always going to be an embarrassing day for him after a third-minute error. Calvert-Lewin’s tame shot was turned inside the near post by Maguire, and a prone and offside Gylfi Sigurdsson withdrew his feet to allow the ball inside the post.
There are three big questions here: Did Sigurdsson interfere with the play? Was De Gea going to be able to get to the ball? And why is Sigurdsson just sitting on the pitch with the match in the balance?
Everton scores, but it's called back. pic.twitter.com/qZkEAJ4uCK
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) March 1, 2020
2. Pickford’s incredible save saves point: Pickford disappointed on Fernandes’ opener, but he stopped the show when he blocked the Portuguese’s 90th-minute shot to Odion Ighalo at the back post. Ighalo helped by pushing the shot toward the center of the goal, where Pickford reacted brilliantly to keep the score line 1-1.
3. Classic tale of two halves: United’s first-half response to De Gea’s mistake was masterful. The Red Devils had almost everything to say about the half, and did almost nothing but defend in the second.
Look at the graph of “attack momentum” from Sofascore. The Toffees had nothing going for the vast majority of the first half, and flipped a switch just before halftime.
Man of the Match: Calvert-Lewin and Fernandes were the difference makers, and we’ll give the nod to DCL for his hard-luck ending. Sorry, Bruno. Great goal, though.
David De Gea and Dominic Calvert-Lewin featured twice in the first five minutes.
The Manchester United took way too much time on the ball and hoofed his clearance into the leaping Calvert-Lewin, whose block bounded into the Red Devils goal for 1-0.
And a Michael Keane long ball met Calvert-Lewin in stride, but De Gea got a piece of the striker’s outside-of-the-boot bid to double the lead.
Nemanja Matic struck a loose ball off the Everton crossbar soon after as the match started with vigor.
The momentum and flow was on United’s side when Fernandes lashed a pretty swerving shot that fooled Jordan Pickford. Hashtag HeWillWantThatBack.
The half became more notable for fouls than chances, though Richarlison missed a bid to head a Leighton Baines cross home in the stoppage time.
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Gylfi Sigurdsson spun a free kick off the near post as Everton sought a go-ahead goal.
The Toffees had the better of the first 20 minutes in the second half, and Richarlison earned a corner off De Gea in the 65th.
De Gea denied Calvert-Lewin four minutes later, the striker sufficiently closed down by Maguire.
United finally got a breath on a 77th-minute charge that Leighton Baines put out for a corner.
Fernandes forced a low save out of Pickford as Everton spent a few minutes down a man due to an injury to Djibril Sidibe.
Pickford’s double save in stoppage time set up Calvert-Lewin for an apparent winner when Maguire deflected a shot past his own keeper, but VAR ruled that a prone and offside Gylfi Sigurdsson interfered with play.
Carlo Ancelotti was displeased, and will not be on the sideline for a while.
An animated Ancelotti gets a Red Card after the match 👀 pic.twitter.com/jZizfMMmDn
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) March 1, 2020
