VAR rules out late Everton goal against United as game ends in a draw

Premier League giants Everton and Manchester United drew 1-1 at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday in an enthralling game which ended after late VAR drama and Toffees manager Carlo Ancelotti being sent off.

Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the proceedings at Goodison Park in the third minute before a superb 31st-minute strike from United midfielder Bruno Fernandes levelled the scoreline.

The Everton striker though thought he had grabbed the three points in stoppage time with a low shot that deflected off Harry Maguire but his effort was ruled out by VAR. Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson was seen lying on the floor after his initial shot was saved by United shot-stopper David De Gea. This resulted in VAR ruling out the goal for offside as Sigurdsson was in De Gea’s line of sight.

This decision angered Everton as their gaffer Carlo Ancelotti was sent off for his protests after the final whistle.

“It’s not the first time I have been sent off and it won’t be the last,” joked Ancelotti, who, having calmed down after the game, admitted it was a “difficult” decision for the referee.

That last-gasp drama unfolded moments after Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had produced a superb double save to keep out an initial Fernandes strike and then, with his feet, one from substitute Odion Ighalo.

The draw was a fair result however as it leaves the Red Devils in fifth place, three points below fourth-placed Chelsea, while Everton are 11th.

A terrible error from De Gea gifted the Toffees a third-minute opener – the former Atletico keeper dawdled on the ball after a pass-back from Maguire as Calvert-Lewin charged down while the Spaniard was attempting a clearance and thus the ball flew off the Everton striker into the net.

The striker should have however doubled the lead shortly afterward, but his shot went just wide of De Gea’s right-hand post.

United, however, responded well to Everton’s lead as Nemanja Matic slotted the ball into the cross-bar with a thunderous strike.

January signing Fernandes in the meantime put the visitors level with a superb low shot from outside the box in the 31st minute.

“One point each, is what both teams deserve, we had the first half and they had the second,” said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Ancelotti also struck a positive tone.

“We played really well, I’m happy about this, we have to continue, no complaints, and we have to look forward. The performance was really good against a really good team and we were competitive all the time,” said the Italian.