Fresh David de Gea howler raises questions for Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed David de Gea is still the best goalkeeper in the world.
But – after he cannoned a clearance off Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the third minute to gift Everton the opener – you could have argued if he is even the best on Manchester United 's books.
No player over the last two seasons has made as many errors leading to goals.
An unfortunate stat given De Gea the majority of those seven mistakes came last season under a different manager.
Even more so when he made a superb save to deny Everton a late winner.
But, up until the 88th minute at Goodison, it looked like Dean Henderson was the big winner after the goalkeepers at either end cost their side goals in an exciting but error-strewn game.
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The 22-year-old shot stopper, who is on loan at Sheffield United from Old Trafford, was watching his stock rise for both (parent) club and country.
That was because Jordan Pickford wasn't doing himself any favours in front of the watching England boss Gareth Southgate.
The Three Lions No. 1 should have been better when he allowed Bruno Fernandes' swerving strike sneak under him for United's equaliser.
Ex-United captain Roy Keane said De Gea should have been “lynched” and dismissed Pickford as “not a good goalkeeper”.
Both made up for the early errors with two fine late saves to rescue a point for their sides, even if it still wasn't enough for the harshest of critics in Keane.
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You have to give them credit for turning their performances around with big saves.
Pickford's was a fine double stop first to deny Fernandes a second and then his quick reactions saw his foot deny substitute Odion Ighalo from point-blank range in the 88th minute.
Then in stoppage time, De Gea pulled off a reactive save of his own with his feet to deny Gylfi Sigurdsson.
That moment would spark chaos as Calvert-Lewin thought he had a second when his rebound deflected off Harry Maguire to leave De Gea wrong-footed.
But the United keeper rightly argued Sigurdsson lying in front of him in the six-yard box and pulling his feet out of the way was enough of a distraction to warrant the VAR giving offside.
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Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti and his staff didn't agree while Solskjaer was confused by the rules.
In the end, a point was a fair result but not what either side needed.
United had a chance to move a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
While a win for the Toffees would have been a real shot in the arm for Ancelotti and his side's hopes of scraping a place in the Europa League.
What a different game it might have been if De Gea didn't hesitate with a clearance early on.
Everton had a chance through Calvert-Lewin soon after his opener but the United keeper pushed it wide and VAR would have ruled it out for offside if it found the net anyways.
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United were the dominant side in the opening 45 minutes with Nemanja Matic cracking one off the bar.
It was Matic's quick pass which found Fernandes for the equaliser in the 31st minute.
Everton were the better side in the second 45 but couldn't turn their pressure into a goal before the last five minutes of madness could have swung the game either way.
EVERTON (4-4-2): Pickford 6; Coleman 6 (Sidibe 28, 6), Holgate 6, Keane 6, Baines 8; Walcott 5 (Bernard 63, 6), Davies 7, Gomes 8 (Kean 82), Sigurdsson 7; CALVERT-LEWIN 8, Richarlison 7. Subs: Virginia, Delph, Mina, Iwobi.
UP NEXT: Chelsea (a), Premier League, Sunday.
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MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-1-2): De Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 7, Lindelof 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 7; McTominay 8 (Mata 72), Matic 7, Fred 7; FERNANDES 8; Greenwood 6 (Ighalo 72), Martial 5 (Williams 89). Subs: Romero, Bailly, Lingard, Pereira.
UP NEXT: Derby (a), FA Cup, Thursday.
REFEREE: Christopher Kavanagh 5.
STAR MAN: BRUNO FERNANDES: Another star showing.
STAR SHOCKER: ANTHONY MARTIAL: Hardly involved.
MATCH RATING: 3
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