October 03, (THEWILL) – In the Premier League’s Saturday midday kick-off, Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford by Everton, with Andros Townsend continuing his excellent start to the season.
After an underwhelming display against Villarreal in midweek, United were saved by a late Cristiano Ronaldo winner, but there was no such drama this time as the Red Devils lacked cohesiveness in the final third, especially as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer started Ronaldo on the bench.
His decision to sideline Cristiano Ronaldo in favour of Edinson Cavani may not have had the expected effect, but United did go into the interval with a lead thanks to Anthony Martial’s first league goal since February.
Everton deservedly levelled, thanks to Townsend’s fifth goal of the season, preventing United from briefly going top of the league table. Ronaldo was introduced from the bench for his 200th Premier League appearance.
The hosts escaped a late scare as Yerry Mina’s goal was ruled out for offside after a tense VAR examination for the home crowd. Replays indicated the Colombian had strayed marginally offside, saving United’s blushes.
The result tells of a distressing fact for United fans: Old Trafford is no longer that fortress that it used to be, inspiring the Red Devils and instilling fear in the hearts of the opposition, whoever they may be.
The days of United being able to rely on their home form appear to be long gone. This was the club’s ninth consecutive league defeat at Old Trafford, with the previous high of ten coming in 1971. United’s last eight defeats have all come at home, making it the longest run of defeats without a loss on the road in Premier League history.
It turned out to be a positive for Rafa Benitez that Gray, like Townsend, has been a fantastic purchase for Everton thus far. At Old Trafford, however, it was the younger of the two wingers who possibly just edged it. He may not have assisted on the equaliser, but his pace and perseverance were incredible, and he was a problem to the United defence in general.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
