IRON BRU
Everton 1 Man Utd 1: Bruno Fernandes rescues point after David De Gea blunder gifted Dominic Calvert-Lewin early goal
CARLO ANCELOTTI was red carded as Everton had a ‘winner’ ruled out by the VAR.
Everton celebrated what they thought was an injury time winner after Dominic Calver-Lewin’s shot deflected in off Harry Maguire.
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But Gylfi Sigurdsson was lying in the six yard box and while the ball did not touch him he was ruled to be affecting play and David De Gea enough to be ruled offside.
Furious Everton boss Ancelotti confronted referee Chris Kavanagh barking in the official’s face so he showed the Italian a red which will lead to a touchline ban.
In was an incredible end to a game that had looked like being the tail of two goalkeepers as the ghost of Goodison Park returned to haunt De Gea.
It was here last April that the Spanish goalkeeper had a stinker as Manchester United lost 4-0.
Mind you so did everyone in a Red Devils shirt that day.
The job was to exorcise the demons from what manager Ole Solskjaer described a shis ‘lowest point’ as a manager.
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Unfortunately while this was a much improved performance from that day, De Gea will still wake up in a cold sweat screaming from his visit to the famous old ground.
His clanger after just three minutes cost United even if Jordan Pickford showed his own vulnerability for the equaliser.
Although both would reprieve themselves with late stops.
De Gea is obviously still a world class goalkeeper but mistakes have been creeping in over the last two seasons.
Indeed he has made seven mistakes that have directly led to Premier League goals since the start of last season – coincidentally the same as Jordan Pickford.
Nobody has made more.
There was a time when you rely on De Gea saving the team 12 points a season not costing them but he did in this game just as some fans were taking their seats.
When Nemanja Matic laid the ball back to him, there was no pressure, nobody chasing him down.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin only did in the end because he was sick of waiting for De Gea to decide what to do.
So he ran into the box, jumped and as De Gea finally kicked, it hit the outstretched boot of the Everton striker and rebounded in.
“You’d kill him!” was Roy Keane’s damning verdict on De Gea when he assessed what the reaction of his manager and teammates would be.
“I would have lynched him at half time. I have no time for that carry on,” add the former Manchester United captain turned TV Pundit.
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Mind you Pickford was not getting away with it either as Keane launched into him too United’s equaliser in the 31st minute.
Bruno Fernandes low long range shot was good and dipped, but it went under the dive of Pickford at his near post.
Keane said: “He’s not a good goalkeeper. He’s not up to it.”
You had to wonder if the watching Gareth Southgate was thinking the same because right now he is the England manager’s number one.
There was nothing else to fault either goalkeeper for after this.
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Indeed just two minutes after his blunder De Gea made a terrific finger tip save to deny Calvert-Lewin another.
In the second-half Everton came desperately close to claiming all three points just short of the hour when Gylfi Sigudsson’s free kick hit the post.
But the scores would stay equal in the end thanks to an incredible save from Pickford whose point blank block from sub Odion Ighalo wiped out his earlier error.
At the other end De Gea’s outstretched leg would also deny Everton in injury time before Calvert-Lewin followed the ball in for a the ‘goal’ that would be ruled out.
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When the dust has setted Solskjaer can claim to momentum being maintained as this is a tough place to come to now with Ancelotti in charge.
It is eight unbeaten in all comps for United, who have conceded only two goals in that time.
Unfortunately for the high-profile goalkeepers like De Gea it is the blunders that are remembered far more than the saves and clean sheets.
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