DAVID MOYES vowed to bring back the thrills when he returned to Goodison – but not even he imagined it would be quite like this.
Two goals up, then two goals conceded…and an Everton penalty in the last of six added minutes which referee Andy Madley overturned after reviewing the video.
If Moyes’ hair hadn’t already gone grey by the time he went back as Goodison boss, it surely would be now.
At half-time the Toffees were in cruise control – goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure giving them an advantage that could easily have been double.
But then Ruben Amorim threw Alejandro Garnacho on from the bench for the final, frantic half an hour, and the whole thing turned on its head and United somehow clawed their way back.
A stunning Bruno Fernandes free-kick and an equally blockbusting edge-of-the-box drive from Manuel Ugarte somehow earned United a point that never looked likely.
Everton thought they were handed a golden chance to win it for a second time – only to have it snatched away a minute later.
When Idrissa Gana Gueye fired in a low drive after 95 minutes, Andre Onana pushed it back into play and Ashley Young crashed under Matthijs De Ligt’s challenge.
The Dutchman clearly had a hand on Young’s shirt, and ref Madley had no doubt – yet when he was sent to the monitor for a double check, amazingly the official changed his mind.
Everton were enraged, United escaped…and everyone left Goodison wondering quite how Moyes had failed to gain revenge on the side that sacked him 11 years ago.
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Beto had blasted Everton ahead on 19 minutes, making United pay for their pitiful attempts to clear Jack Harrison’s corner.
Then Doucoure doubled the advantage by muscling Harry Maguire aside to nod in when Onana blocked Jack Harrison’s point-blank drive.
United were on the canvas – yet somehow picked themselves up when everyone was expecting a knockout count.
First skipper Fernandes fired in a scorching free kick – although keeper Jordan Pickford’s initial step to the right gave him no chance of reaching it.
And ten minutes from the end another Fernandes free kick was headed clear by Beto, only for Ugarte to smash it back with interest.
Everton were stunned into silence at chucking it away, only to think they would at least make amends from the spot in that unbelievable, jaw-dropping finsh.
Referee Madley, though, decided otherwise…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
