Man United concedes late penalty, draws 1-1 at Everton
Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic controls the ball, during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester United,at Goodison Park, in Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 4, 2016. AP
LIVERPOOL, England — Leighton Baines converted an 88th-minute penalty to earn Everton a 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday in the latest setback for Jose Mourinho’s team in the English Premier League.
Substitute Marouane Fellaini had only been on the field for a few minutes when he brought down Idrissa Gueye, and Baines found the corner with the resulting spot kick.
That canceled out an exquisite lobbed finish from Zlatan Ibrahimovic that gave United a fortunate lead in the 42nd minute.
United has made its worst start to a Premier League campaign and is already 13 points behind first-placed Chelsea after 14 games.
Aside from the late goal, a big talking point from a low-quality game was a crude tackle from United defender Marcos Rojo in the 16th that might have justified a red card but only earned him a yellow.
A day after Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero was sent off for a knee-high lunge on Chelsea defender David Luiz, Rojo left the ground and dived two-footed — with his studs showing — into the leg of Gueye. Everton’s players sprinted to referee Michael Oliver to urge him to show a red card, but the official surprisingly chose yellow instead.
That was the only notable incident of a disappointing first half until the goal from Ibrahimovic, which owed as much to the rashness of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg as the Swedish striker’s skill.
Ibrahimovic ran onto Anthony Martial’s long ball forward but the situation looked relatively harmless for Everton until Stekelenburg chose to race out of his area in a bid to clear the ball. Ibrahimovic reached it first, deftly flicked the ball over the ‘keeper and watched it bounce up against the bar, down onto the post, land on the goal-line and spin back over the line before Ramiro Funes Mori could clear.
Ibrahimovic stayed in the spotlight early in the second half when he landed heavily on Seamus Coleman as they battled for the ball before appearing to drop his foot on the head of the defender.
Ander Herrera struck the angle of post and bar with a close-range half-volley in the 60th before United faced a strong finish from Everton.
De Gea saved from Kevin Mirallas and Enner Valencia but was finally beaten by Baines after Fellaini’s clumsy challenge.
United is sixth with 21 points, two places and a point above Everton.
