Just for a moment, you wondered if the old place could take any more. 10 days after Goodison Park was rocked to its foundations by James Tarkowski’s last-gasp equaliser in the Merseyside derby, Everton had an injury-time penalty on Manchester United‘s last ever visit here.
Another seismic celebration might have proved too much. As VAR intervened and Goodison waited, on second thoughts you feared Everton fans might tear the place down three months early if the decision went against them.
Either way, it felt like the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock might be needed sooner than expected.
We were three minutes into added time when referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot after Ashley Young went down in the box as he challenged for a loose ball with Matthijs De Ligt and Harry Maguire.
Maguire appeared to make contact with the former United player and De Ligt seemed to have hold of his shirt. Madley was certainly convinced, but VAR referee Matthew Donohue wasn’t. He sent his colleague to the pitch-side monitor and from that moment it was inevitable that the decision would be overturned.
Was it a clear and obvious error? Not really. Worryingly, the Premier League said VAR had only checked Maguire’s foul and not the shirt pull by De Ligt.
Anthony Madley awarded Everton a penalty in stoppage time against Manchester United
The official was instructed to review his call at the pitchside monitor after VAR looked at the incident
Madley reversed his decision after taking another look and deciding there was not sufficient contact on Ashley Young
‘So they only mentioned the bit they needed to?’ said David Moyes with a rueful smile, too long in the tooth to rant and rave about such things.
Moyes could afford to be philosophical despite admitting that this draw felt like a defeat in stark contrast to the Merseyside derby after United fought back from two goals down.
This was another point in Everton’s climb towards safety since he returned to the club last month, and the very least they deserved in the February sunshine.
United, on the other hand, were utterly rank for 45 minutes. Devoid of confidence and ideas. Some of their players looked like they didn’t want the ball, others didn’t know what to do when they got it. You never know quite what you’re going to get with Ruben Amorim’s side.
‘We didn’t exist in the first half,’ admitted United’s head coach.
At the end of a week in which it emerged that United’s £1billion debt includes more than £300m still owing on transfers, it’s obscene how much money has been wasted putting this team together.
An attack led by £110m pair Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee barely laid a glove on Everton for more than an hour until Amorim sent on Alejandro Garnacho and captain Bruno Fernandes began to exert more influence over the game.
Until then, United were outfought in midfield and jittery in defence which only helped to contribute to the two goals they conceded during that shambolic first half.
The first arrived in the 20th minute after Casemiro lost the ball and Maguire was forced to concede a corner.
Everton grabbed an early lead when Beto scored his fifth goal in his last four Premier League matches
Abdoulaye Doucoure grabbed a second for the Toffees before the break after stealing march on Harry Maguire
United had chances to clear their lines in the game of head tennis that followed, but Abdoulaye Doucoure nodded goalwards and Jesper Lindstrom swung at the ball which fell for Beto to beat Andre Onana from close-range.
Did Lindstrom get the faintest of touches to render his team-mate offside? This VAR check went in their favour and Beto had his fifth goal in the last four Premier League games.
It was also Everton’s first in five league meetings with United and they didn’t have to wait very long for another.
A simple pass from Lindstrom opened up United and left them two on two. Noussair Mazraoui raced across to close down Beto on the right, but he squared the ball to Jack Harrison who cut inside Maguire and fired on goal.
Onana saved but the ball looped invitingly up into the air for Doucoure to rise in front of Maguire and head into an empty net.
Replacing Casemiro with Garnacho in the 62nd minute allowed Fernandes to drop deeper and gave United more balance and threat.
Garnacho had been on the pitch 10 minutes when he drew a foul by Doucoure who then handled Fernandes’ first free kick attempt.
It gave the United captain a second go slightly nearer goal, and this time Fernandes curled the ball over the wall and past a stranded Jordan Pickford.
Bruno Fernandes sparked a late revival for Manchester United against Everton on Saturday afternoon
The Red Devils skipper dispatched his set piece into the bottom corner of the net in 72nd minute
Manuel Ugarte completed the fightback with a well-taken half volley from the edge of the Toffees area
Ruben Amorim’s in-game changes spared his side another demoralising league defeat
The equaliser in the 80th minute also came from a free kick after Young, on for Lindstrom, fouled Patrick Dorgu. This time Fernandes swung the ball to the edge of the six-yard box where Beto headed clear but only to Manuel Ugarte who chested it down and volleyed home.
United looked the more likely winners until Fernandes inexplicably lofted a first-time pass back into his own penalty area deep into injury-time and put his team in trouble.
The ball was played back to Idrissa Gueye who tried his luck from 20 yards. Onana parried, the ball bounced loose and down went Young.
Goodison roared for a penalty and Madley gave it. United got their reprieve though and Amorim gladly accepted a point as returns to Old Trafford for back-to-back games against Ipswich and Fulham wishing home advantage counted for something more.
‘I think Goodison Park is amazing and the fans of Everton are amazing,’ he said. ‘They are in a good moment, and it’s well deserved that David Moyes is the coach to start in the next stadium.
‘But in this moment, we need to focus on day by day and survive this season. For me, every stadium is really difficult – especially ours!’