Everton vs Manchester United. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance39,374.
Report and free highlights VAR denies Everton stoppage-time winner
Monday 2 March 2020 06:09, UK
Everton had a late winner ruled out by VAR as Bruno Fernandes spared David de Gea's blushes by rescuing a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Calvert-Lewin's charge down forced an awful error from a hesitant De Gea as his clearance deflected into his own net with just three minutes on the clock, but Fernandes equalised with his third goal in three games on the half-hour, ramming home a near-post drive that Jordan Pickford will be disappointed not to have saved.
Gylfi Sigurdsson crashed a free-kick against the post in the second half and a stunning double save from Pickford denied substitute Odion Ighalo a late winner, but VAR had the final say on an incident-packed afternoon on Merseyside when Calvert-Lewin's deflected shot was ruled out after it adjudged Sigurdsson, who was laying prone in an offside position, interfered with play.
The decision prompted boos from the Goodison Park faithful, while manager Carlo Ancelotti was issued a straight red card for his remonstrations with referee Chris Kavanagh after Everton were contentiously denied the chance to close the gap on fifth-placed United to two points.
United had kept a clean sheet in six of their previous seven matches but that run came to an end inside three minutes on Merseyside in the most bizarre circumstances, as Calvert-Lewin charged down a lethargic De Gea clearance to send the ball rebounding into the net.
The frenetic start ensured there was no time for self-pity from the Spaniard, who atoned for gifting Everton the opener by denying them a second moments later, tipping Calvert-Lewin's low effort around the post.
But United withstood the early Everton onslaught and established a foothold in the game, with Nemanja Matic rattling the crossbar on six minutes and Anthony Martial dragging a shot wide before the Serb's rasping drive drew a save from Pickford.
Mason Greenwood glanced a header over the bar on 17 minutes and it was not long before the United pressure finally told on the Everton goal, with Fernandes' swerving near-post drive flashing under the defence of Pickford.
Having climbed back off the canvas though, a defensive lapse nearly undid all of United's hard work, but Richarlison was unable to steer Leighton Baines' sumptuous cross on target on the stroke of half-time.
Everton returned from the break with a renewed measure of control and United were forced to soak up constant pressure. Sigurdsson rattled a stunning free-kick against the frame of the United goal on 57 minutes, before Calvert-Lewin's near-post drew De Gea into a save with his feet.
Fernandes looked to guide United to victory late on with a surge into Everton territory, but his square pass was brilliantly hooked behind by Baines just as Ighalo looked set to score his first Premier League goal for his new club.
In a thrilling finale, Pickford thwarted Ighalo with two saves at point-blank range in the final minute before Everton were contentiously denied the winning goal in stoppage time with a VAR decision that left the Goodison faithful with the bitterest of tastes in their mouths.
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti: "I had a lot of things to say, I asked the referee to explain after the game and he sent me off. Then I spoke after with him - I will keep our conversation private - and it was a situation where Gylfi [Sigurdsson] was offside but, in our view, he didn't affect the vision of [David] de Gea. As I say the vision was clear, but it was offside - you have to decide if the vision is affected or not and everyone knows the decision can be viewed differently."
Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "It was a game of two halves - first half, we were excellent. But a very strange start, you shouldn't be 1-0 down like that. After that we played fantastic football and we should have been leading at half time, we could have won it at the end. We defended all second half and pleased with a point. One point each is what both teams deserve we had the first half and they had the second."
Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in 19 goals in 21 league games this season for Sporting CP and Manchester United (10 goals & 9 assists).
Everton travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Super Sunday at 2pm, live on Sky Sports.
United travel to Derby in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Thursday at 8pm, before hosting rivals City in the Manchester derby on Super Sunday from 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports.
