Manchester United left it till the “Fergie-time” to earn a hard fought 1-1 draw against Everton at the Old Trafford, thanks to a late, late penalty from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
United dominated the possession in the early parts of the game, but Everton settled down soon enough and opened the scoring through captain Phil Jagielka in the 22nd minute after some shambolic defending from the home team from a corner.
The Red Devils struggled to muster up any sort of meaningful attempt at goal until Zlatan Ibrahimovic found the back of the net in the 71st minute, only to see it chalked off for offside. With a loss looking closer by the minute, there was late drama in the game, as United were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds of the game after Ashley Williams handled the ball in the penalty box from a Luke Shaw shot. And Ibrahimovic made no mistake from the spot, rescuing a point for his team.
United extended their unbeaten run in the league to 20 games but Jose Mourinho will be disappointed after another draw at home this season. The result sees United stay in the fifth place, four points off fourth-placed Manchester City, who will be playing Chelsea on Wednesday. Here is how the United players fared on the day:
Manchester United Player Ratings
David De Gea – 6/10
Made a smart save from Kevin Mirallas in the first-half. Caught unawares for the goal. Didn’t have much to do from then on.
Ashley Young – 6/10
Was full of running and energy in the first-half, but lacked the support on occasions. Moved to left-back after the restart. Booked and was taken off a little after an hour with what looked like a groin injury.
Eric Bailly – 7/10
Looked up for the battle against Lukaku. Made some crucial blocks and tackles throughout. Another strong performance by the summer signing.
Marcos Rojo – 5/10
Was overpowered by Jagielka for the opener. Just about got away on a couple of occasions in the second half, after being put under some serious pressure by Lukaku. Missed a chance to get his team on level. Not his best performance in recent times.
Daley Blind – 6/10
Forced a great save from Joel Robles from a set-piece. Fairly solid at the back, but did not get forward enough. Taken off at half-time for Paul Pogba.
Michael Carrick – 6/ 10
Did what he does best, sitting back and spraying an array of passes from the midfield. Offered the control in the midfield. Was taken off with United searching for the leveler.
Ander Herrera – 7/10
Hit the crossbar from a tight angle when he should have probably scored. Forced another brilliant save from Robles. As usual an energetic performance with the hustle and bustle in the middle of the park.
Marouane Fellaini – 5/10
Lost Ashley Williams in the lead up to the goal. His shooting was wayward on occasions. Struggled to make any meaningful contribution to the game.
Jesse Lingard – 6/10
Caused problems with his pace and movement early in the game. Drifted in and out of the game at times as the game progressed. End product is an area of concern.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 5/10
Missed a chance early in the game. Saw a goal ruled out for offside, but left his mark with a cool penalty in the injury time to rescue a point for his team. Far from his best, but still the difference maker.
Marcus Rashford – 5/10
A couple of decent runs here and there aside, the teenager had a largely forgetful night. Looks short on confidence and in need of goal.
Substitutes
Paul Pogba – 6/10
Came on to replace Daley Blind at half-time, with United looking to get back into the game. Unlucky to find the crossbar from a close range header. Sprayed in a series of long balls into the Everton box as his team searched for the equalizer.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6/10
Replaced Carrick in the 64th minute. Tried to pull the strings in the attacking third with his clever touches and swift movement, but couldn’t make much of an impact.
Luke Shaw – 7/10
Replaced the injured Young at left-back in the 64th minute. Looked sharp after coming on. Made a vital clearance at the far post. It was his shot that earned United the penalty in the dying moments. Responded well to recent criticism by the boss.