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Everton continued their unbeaten run at the Goodison Park under Carlo Ancelotti as they held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in tonight's Premier League fixture.
The Toffees were one goal up just three minutes into the game thanks to a howler from David de Gea, whose clearance from a simple back pass ricocheted off the incoming Dominic Calvert-Lewin straight into the back of the empty net.
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The early goal got the Evertonians in the stands going and set the tone for the rest of the match. It was a dominant first-half performance from the hosts and they looked dangerous every time they had the ball in the opposition half. The United defenders also made multiple errors in the early stages of the game.
New signing Bruno Fernandes once again proved to be the difference-maker for the visitors as he beat Jordan Pickford with a powerful, swerving shot from outside of the box in the 31st minute.
Some late drama ensued when Everton had a potentially winning goal denied in the injury time by a VAR recheck. Manager Carlo Ancelotti was then shown a red card as he protested against the ruling soon after the final whistle.
On that note, we shall now take a look at the three talking points from the game.
#3 David de Gea's howler puts his spot at the EURO 2020 with Spain in jeopardy
Just two seasons ago Manchester United No. 1 David de Gea was one of the safest pairs of hands across all European leagues. But last season he kept only seven clean sheets in the league, his lowest tally during his time at the club, and he has not been able to shrug off that poor run of form since.
In today's fixture, he gifted Everton an early lead when he made a mess of a routine back pass. De Gea dawdled on the ball for far too long and only managed to hit the ball directly into the path of Calvert-Lewin.
Though he made a crucial save in injury time to deny Sigurdsson, it was not enough to make up for his horrendous mistake in the early stages of the game.
De Gea has lost his assured starting position in the Spanish national side to Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in recent times. He only started in three of the 10 EURO Qualifiers for La Roja, and his propensity to concede goals from silly mistakes does not bode well for his chances at the main event later this year.
De Gea has just seven clean sheets this season, which is two more than Kepa, but if he is to regain his spot, he needs to step up his game.
#2 VAR is proving to be the necessary evil in the Premier League
VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has proved to be one of the most controversial introductions to the Premier League in recent years.
The hosts were denied the three points late on by VAR after referee Chris Kavanagh initially awarded Calvert-Lewin his second goal of the game in the first minute of injury time.
Sigurdsson lay on the ground in front of De Gea after Calvert-Lewin's shot took a hefty deflection from Harry Maguire before making it into the back of the net, and the goal was ruled out for offside via the video assistant referee.
The Iceland national was rightly judged to be offside despite not touching the ball before it went into the net, as he had moved his legs to clear the way for the ball and that had influenced the play.
In absence of VAR, the hosts would've secured a memorable win. But its intervention proved crucial to deliver justice to Manchester United, who also got a point from a well-fought battle.
#1 Bruno Fernandes' seamless integration into the squad could bring an end to Pogba's transfer saga
Bruno Fernandes has made an instant impact with his new employers since making his debut for the club last month. United have found the spark they have been missing for quite some time in the Portuguese midfielder.
He has scored three goals in three games for the Red Devils since scoring his maiden goal for the club in his first appearance at the Old Trafford last week.
His brilliant strike in the 31st minute of the game was also the 900th away goal for Manchester United in the Premier League, making them the first club to reach the eye-catching figure.
It is only natural that a player of his calibre is going to see his stock rise as the season progresses. Now that he is running the show in the midfield in the absence of Paul Pogba, can Fernandes prove to be the turning point in determining the Frenchman's future at Old Trafford?
Pogba has only played seven games in the top-flight this season and has just two assists to his name. Though injuries have kept him away from the action for the better part of the season, it seems that the constant interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Juventus has been affecting his performances on the pitch.
Now that United have found a midfield linchpin in Fernandes, his performances could act as a catalyst to finally put an end to Pogba's transfer saga.
Also read: Everton 1-1 Manchester United - Hits and Flops
