Manchester United staged a late fightback to salvage a 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park, with Manuel Ugarte scoring his first goal for the club to complete the comeback.
Everton appeared to be cruising toward a comfortable victory, but two goals in eight second-half minutes rescued a point for Ruben Amorim’s side, preventing them from suffering a third consecutive Premier League defeat.
Everton Take Early Control
The match started positively for David Moyes’ Everton, as they quickly asserted dominance:
- 15′ – Beto scores the opener: The striker latched onto Abdoulaye Doucouré’s header, sending a bouncing volley over André Onana to give Everton the lead.
- 28′ – Doucouré doubles the advantage: Jack Harrison’s low shot was parried into the air by Onana, allowing Doucouré to react quickly and nod the ball into the net from close range.
Everton were in complete control and United struggled to create chances, failing to register a single shot on target in the first 71 minutes.
United’s Stunning Fightback
Just when it seemed Everton would cruise to victory, Manchester United turned the game around in dramatic fashion:
- 72′ – Bruno Fernandes pulls one back: The Portuguese midfielder fired in a stunning free-kick, marking United’s first shot on target of the match.
- 80′ – Ugarte completes the comeback: The Uruguayan midfielder volleyed home from inside the box, scoring his first goal for the club and securing a vital point for United.
United nearly snatched a late winner, but Jordan Pickford denied Fernandes with an excellent save.
Everton thought they had a chance to win it in stoppage time when Ashley Young was awarded a penalty following a challenge from Harry Maguire, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned.
What This Means for Both Teams
- Everton move up to 12th place in the Premier League table, extending their unbeaten run to six matches.
- Manchester United remain in 15th place with 30 points, still one point behind Everton.
Data Debrief: Late Drama in United’s Comeback
- This was the first time Manchester United avoided defeat when trailing by two or more goals in the Premier League since December 2023, when they beat Aston Villa 3-2.
- It was also the first time United achieved such a comeback away from home since November 2020, when they defeated Southampton 3-2.
- Bruno Fernandes continues to shine against Everton—he has now been involved in more Premier League goals against the Toffees (11 – six goals, five assists in 11 games) than against any other team.
- Everton have now failed to win 22 Premier League games in which they led by two or more goals (D16, L6)—only Southampton (25) have let leads slip more often in the competition’s history.
While Everton will be frustrated at throwing away a two-goal lead, United will be relieved to escape with a point, showing resilience after a difficult first half.
