Manchester United appeared to have done enough to leave Hill Dickinson Stadium with all three points, but once again, a late collapse came back to haunt the Red Devils as Everton fought back twice to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw in the Premier League.
For United, it was another painful reminder that a match is not over until the final whistle. They led twice, had opportunities to put the game beyond Everton, and were just minutes away from victory before Ainsley Maitland-Niles produced a stunning stoppage-time strike to rescue a point for the hosts.
The first half offered plenty of tension but little in the way of goals. Both teams struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, with Manchester United looking the more threatening in spells. Bruno Fernandes came particularly close when his effort rattled the woodwork, while Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford remained an important figure for the hosts.
United finally broke the deadlock shortly after half-time.
In the 46th minute, Bryan Mbeumo produced a moment of individual brilliance to put Manchester United 1-0 ahead. The forward picked up possession, drove forward and unleashed a superb strike that gave Pickford little chance. It was United’s first away goal and away lead of the season, and for a moment, the visitors looked firmly in control.
Everton, however, refused to disappear.
The introduction of Jack Grealish helped inject greater attacking energy into the Toffees, who began pushing Manchester United deeper. David Moyes’ side increased the pressure and eventually found their reward in the 83rd minute.
Tyrique George smashed the ball into the net to make it 1-1, giving Everton a huge lift and suddenly turning the match into a frantic end-to-end contest.
But United responded almost immediately.
Just minutes after Everton’s equaliser, Benjamin Šeško restored Manchester United’s advantage. In the 87th minute, Luke Shaw delivered a dangerous cross into the box, and Šeško rose to meet it with a powerful header that sent the ball beyond Pickford.
At 2-1, United looked destined to escape with a victory.
And that is where the jokes almost wrote themselves.
Manchester United had twice taken the lead and were staring at three points. Everton had been forced to chase the game for much of the second half, and United only needed to survive the remaining minutes.
Instead, the Red Devils somehow found another way to make life difficult for themselves.
Deep into stoppage time, Everton launched one final attack. A loose clearance fell invitingly for substitute Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who was making his Everton debut after joining the club on deadline day.
The former Arsenal player made no mistake.
In the 96th minute, Maitland-Niles unleashed a spectacular first-time effort from around 30 yards, sending the ball flying into the top corner and leaving the Manchester United defence and goalkeeper helpless.
2-2.
The stadium erupted.
Everton had gone from seemingly heading for defeat to celebrating one of the most dramatic points of their season. Maitland-Niles had transformed his debut into an instant piece of Everton folklore, while United players could only look on in disbelief as another victory slipped through their fingers.
The late equaliser was particularly damaging for Manchester United because they had led twice. Bryan Mbeumo had given them the breakthrough, Šeško had restored their advantage, yet the team could not protect either lead.
For Everton, the comeback demonstrated remarkable character. Despite facing criticism following a difficult transfer window and concerns about squad depth, Moyes’ team refused to surrender. They remained unbeaten after three league matches and moved onto five points.
Manchester United, meanwhile, were left with just four points from their opening three Premier League matches and dropped to 11th in the early standings.
The result will inevitably raise questions about United’s ability to close out matches. A team chasing a top position cannot afford to repeatedly surrender leads in the closing stages, and conceding a 96th-minute equaliser after going ahead in the 87th minute will feel especially painful.
For Everton, it was a night of survival, belief and spectacular drama.
For Manchester United, it was another case of: “Just five more minutes, lads…”
Only this time, those five minutes lasted long enough for Maitland-Niles to produce a rocket.
Everton 2-2 Manchester United. Two leads thrown away. One spectacular late goal. And another Manchester United victory that somehow managed to escape from their hands at the very last moment.
