Man Utd survive late VAR penalty drama to fightback for draw at Everton

Manchester United rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Everton in the Premier League, with Manuel Ugarte grabbing the 80th-minute equaliser with his first goal at club level in four years.

The Uruguay midfielder rescued a point from a largely inept performance from United by driving home a shot from the edge of the area eight minutes after Bruno Fernandes started the visitors’ fightback at Goodison Park on Saturday by curling in a free kick.

United had been on course to slip to a third straight loss — and ninth defeat in 15 league matches since Ruben Amorim took charge in November — after first-half goals by Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

There was a late scare for United when Everton was awarded a penalty for a foul by Harry Maguire on Ashley Young in the third minute of stoppage time but after a video review, the on-field referee changed his initial decision.

Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte scores their second goal [Phil Noble/Reuters]

Everton faded halfway through the second half and United took advantage, though the comeback will not mask the big problems facing Amorim as he looks to get the fallen English giant up the standings from its current embarrassing position of 15th place.

“We had our chances in the second half but we started the game too late,” Fernandes admitted to TNT Sports. “We gave it away in the first half. We didn’t have enough movement. We were too static. It was difficult to create situations.

“The manager was very upset with us for not sticking to the plan that we had during the season. To make it work even if it was not going well.”

Amorim was equally as honest in his appraisal: “In this moment, we need to focus on day by day, we need to survive this season – that is clear – and then think ahead. We have so many problems and then when we go to the game, we let the time pass, it’s really hard.

“I don’t want to just talk about the negatives and the second half was so much better and the belief – in the end, we were near to winning this game.”

Everton extended its unbeaten run under David Moyes, who returned for a second spell as manager last month, to six league games.

Ugarte’s previous last club goal was for Portuguese team Famalicao in February 2021.

Everton’s Beto scores his side’s first goal [Phil Noble/Reuters]