Manchester United 1 Everton 1

United substitute Mason Greenwood marked the 4,000th consecutive match the club have had a youth graduate in the senior matchday squad with the equaliser in the 77th minute. It cancelled out a shock Everton opener in the first half when Victor Lindelof inadvertently put the ball in his own net.

However, the boost from Greenwood could not spark the Reds to a late win and it cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side the chance to make up even more ground on fourth-placed Chelsea in the battle for a Champions League spot.

The Reds almost registered one of our fastest Premier League goals when Jesse Lingard turned and swept his shot just wide after only 15 seconds of the match. Everton, too, revitalised by new temporary boss and club favourite Duncan Ferguson, had their own early opportunity. Had Mason Holgate’s cross deceived David De Gea it would have gone down as a bizarre opener, but our Spanish goalkeeper was alive to the misjudged effort and tipped the ball over his bar.

Lindelof and Scott McTominay were providing some tasty through-ball service for United’s forwards, with Marcus Rashford and Daniel James off target, but it was a Rashford free-kick after 26 minutes that almost provided the breakthrough.

The in-form hitman cracked in a ferocious set-piece but his England colleague Jordan Pickford reacted mid-air to get a solid glove on the shot to keep it out. Everton had been tigerish all afternoon and they stunned Old Trafford when they went in front after 36 minutes.

Substitute Leighton Baines, on for the injured Lucas Digne, whipped in an in-swinging corner which eluded everyone in the box but hit an unsuspecting Lindelof and bounced off the Swede into the net. Despite VAR checking for a potential foul by Dominic Calvert-Lewin on De Gea, whose arm was across the keeper, the goal was allowed to stand.

United were struggling to break down resilient and well-drilled opponents but Luke Shaw went direct in the 62nd minute as he drove at the visitors' defence and unleashed a shot that Pickford saved. James picked up the rebound but hammered his shot against Jesse Lingard.

In a bid to give Everton something new to think about, the manager brought on two-goal hero against AZ Alkmaar, Greenwood, after 65 minutes to replace Lingard. Lindelof, with a booking and own goal to his name, almost put a more positive spin on his day when he smashed a shot just over as the Reds piled the pressure on.

The Greenwood Ace up the sleeve paid off handsomely when the youngster finally broke Everton down in the 77th minute to take his goal stats up to seven senior strikes this season. His fine ball wide to James allowed the Wales international to return the favour and the shot had too much accuracy and power for Pickford.

Everton were gamely looking to get back ahead and De Gea needed to pull off a great stop to deny Alex Iwobi as a tense finale unfolded. Both teams attacked until the final whistle but it remained at 1-1, a scoreline Ferguson celebrated wildly in front of the away fans at the end.

MATCH DETAILS

United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire (c), Shaw; McTominay, Fred; James (Mata 86), Lingard (Greenwood 65), Rashford; Martial.

Substitutes: Romero, Tuanzebe, Williams, Young, Andreas.

Scorer: Greenwood 77.

Booked: Lindelof, McTominay. 

Everton: Pickford; Coleman (c), Keane, Mina, Digne (Baines 25); Iwobi, Davies, Holgate, Bernard (Kean 70 Niasse 89)); Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.  

Substitutes: Stekelenburg, Martina, Gordon, Tosun. 

Scorer: Lindelof og 36

Booked: Davies, Richarlison.

Attendance: 73,328.

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