Everton and Manchester United shared the points in a thrilling 2-2 Premier League draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.
The match looked set to end in a victory for United, but a dramatic stoppage-time goal from debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles rescued a deserved point for the home team.
The first half was a tight contest with both teams struggling to create many clear-cut chances. Manchester United came closest to opening the scoring when Bruno Fernandes struck the crossbar after a well-worked attacking move.
Everton also had an opportunity before the break, but striker Thierno Barry headed over the bar from close range when he should have tested the goalkeeper.
Despite a few promising attacks from both sides, the teams went into halftime level at 0-0. There was a lot of work needed to be done by both teams in the remaining half.
Manchester United made the perfect start to the second half. Just one minute after the restart, Bryan Mbeumo produced a moment of quality to put the visitors ahead in the 46th minute.
The winger picked up the ball on the right side, drove forward past several Everton players, and curled a superb left-footed shot into the far corner beyond Jordan Pickford that made it 0-1.
It was an excellent individual goal and gave United the advantage they had been searching for. After falling behind, the home side gradually grew into the game.
Manager David Moyes introduced fresh legs from the bench, including Jack Grealish, whose arrival helped improve Everton’s attacking play.
The home side continued to push forward and eventually found their equaliser in the 83rd minute which saw the encounter became level 1-1.
Tyrique George received the ball on the right side of the penalty area and fired a powerful shot into the top corner from a difficult angle.
The goal sparked huge celebrations among the home fans and brought the match back to life. The drama was far from over in the match which had another twist.
Manchester United responded quickly and appeared to have secured all three points when Benjamin Sesko scored in the 88th minute.
The striker finished off a move involving Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw, heading home from close range after Shaw delivered a precise cross into the box.
With only a few minutes remaining, United looked certain to leave Merseyside with a valuable 1-2 win after taking the lead with nothing much left to play.
However, Everton refused to give up from getting anything in the match. Deep into stoppage time, new signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles produced a stunning moment on his debut.
The former Arsenal player struck a powerful first-time effort from around 30 yards that flew into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Senne Lammens with no chance.
The spectacular goal sent the stadium into celebration and ensured Everton earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Although Manchester United led twice during the match, they will be disappointed not to have secured victory.
The Red Devils created several good opportunities and hit the woodwork through Fernandes, but defensive lapses late in the game proved costly.
The Toffee’s, meanwhile, showed great determination and fighting spirit, qualities that David Moyes will be pleased with as his side remains unbeaten in the opening weeks of the season.
The result leaves Everton with five points from their opening three Premier League matches, while Manchester United move to four points.
More importantly, the game provided plenty of entertainment, with four second-half goals and a dramatic finish that will be remembered for Maitland-Niles’ incredible debut strike.
Both teams will look at the game and see it as a fair one based on the opportunities and how much efforts they had to put in going forward all through the match.
