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The second period began with Everton showing a new sense of conviction and determination. It wasn’t reflected on scoring chances, but tackles soon started to come. Fernandes received a late warning and the VAR looked for a strong challenge from Maguire over Digne. The offside flag had already been raised, anyway, but the patron could still have been punished, although the video assistant ultimately decided that the patron’s defiance had fallen within the bounds of respectability.
The home team enjoyed the majority of possession, in contrast to the first period, but struggled to get through the Reds, and the match went into the final 20 minutes tight and irritable, but with United overall in control. Solskjaer’s men had a great opportunity to double the lead in the 72nd minute, when a pass from Fred found Rashford on the side. The England forward simply couldn’t convert the ball in his stride, but still tested Pickford with a stinging blow that the Blues goalkeeper did well to repel with his legs.
Minutes later, Rashford found space on the left and crossed for Mata, on the edge of the area, but the Spaniard did not connect sweetly enough with his low shot. At the other end there was a determined defense, as Maguire rejected a dangerous cross from Iwobi, and substitute Axel Tuanzebe, replacing Luke Shaw, did a brave job on the unknown left back. But despite all their crosses, corners and winning, Everton never made a big mark when probing around the United area.
Coleman fell back for Doucore in overtime, but the midfielder’s shot was harmlessly crossed over David De Gea’s vertical. Minutes later, with Everton high, Fernandes broke down and set Cavani up for a direct chance that he easily buried by stepping over Pickford. And that was that. The full-time whistle sounded seconds later, to the cheers of
“Enters”
from the superbly engaged Scott McTominay.
