10-man Everton stun inept Man Utd with Dewsbury-Hall strike
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a superb 29th minute winner for Everton against Manchester United. Pic: AP Photo/Dave Thompson
BOTH teams attempted to outdo each other when it came to shooting themselves in the foot but ultimately Manchester United came out on top in the ineptitude stakes as Everton's 10 men chiselled out a victory as implausible as it was impressive.
Idrissa Gueye joined an exclusive though rather unwanted club after he was sent off for slapping team-mate Michael Keane as the visitors initially pressed the self-destruct button - only for the hosts to be totally unable to make an 80-minute numerical advantage tell in a pallid, inflexible display to mark Ruben Amorim's first anniversary in charge with a performance that said so much about how they continue to drift under the Portuguese.
It meant a first victory at the Theatre of Dreams as a visiting manager for David Moyes after his latest return to the club where he spent an ill-fated season a dozen years ago refused to go the way of the previous 17 in a landmark win for the visitors sealed by a goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Everton's 110th red card of the Premier League era was arguably their most bizarre as Gueye became the first top flight player since Stoke's Ricardo Fuller to be ordered off for fighting with a team-mate - Andy Griffin - back in 2008.
The bizarre flashpoint arrived in the 13th minute as the team-'mates' exchanged angry words as each blamed the other for allowing Bruno Fernandes to go close with an angled drive across the face of goal.
The frank exchange of views escalated to such an extent that the Senegal international slapped the former England defender. It was far from a haymaker and Keane gave as good as he got but referee Tony Harrington felt the diminutive midfielder was the main instigator and brandished red, Gueye's first in the Premier League for more than eight years.
Given his automatic three-match ban and impending AFCON duty with his nation, it will be some time before the 36-year-old will next be seen in Evertonian blue again.
As the red mist descended at the magnitude of his stupidity in the wake of his sending off, Gueye owes Jordan Pickford a huge debt of thanks for acting as peacemaker to restrain him as he appeared in grave danger of totally losing it before being ushered towards the dressing room.
It wasn't the only decent save made by the impressive England goalkeeper in front of the watching Thomas Tuchel.
By that early juncture, Everton had already been forced into a change after losing club captain Seamus Coleman after the Republic of Ireland's full-back's first Premier League start for 11 months lasted just 10 minutes.
The 37-year-old was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem as his joy at starting a league game for the club for the 16th consecutive season quickly dissipated as he trudged down the touchline to the dressing room to be replaced by international colleague, former Cork City defender Jake O'Brien.
Implausibly, the 10 men went into the break with a goal advantage as the hosts were utterly incapable of turning their numerical advantage into anything tangible.
As the half hour approached, from a James Garner pass, Dewsbury Hall benefitted from Leny Yoro's ineffectual challenge on the edge of the box, and Senne Lammens' weak wrist as the midfielder's curling effort with the right foot he largely reserves for just standing on, found its way into the top corner to stun Old Trafford.
The hosts could have levelled before half-time but Patrick Dorgu fired wastefully off target after arriving unmarked at the back post to meet a searching low Joshua Zirkzee cross.
Pickford was at full-stretch to tip a long distance Fernandes effort over as the hosts belatedly began to exert some sustained pressure before their momentum was halted by the half-time whistle and the sight of Moyes doing a passable impression of Usain Bolt back to the dressing room to ensure his two warring players didn't renew hostilities behind closed doors.
The second-half, predictably, was one-way traffic. Pickford saved well from Mbeumo, and even more notably from Zirkzee.
Substitute Mason Mount curled an effort inches wide and Fernandes' lack of trust in his left foot proved costly when he passed up a presentable close-range chance after an awkward stab with his right as the hosts' frustrations grew.
Pickford tipped over a Zirkzee header as stoppage-time approached to rubber-stamp an heroic Everton rearguard action as they held out for their first win here in 12 years. The United boss that December day? David Moyes, of course.
Lammens 5; Yoro 5, de Ligt, Shaw 4; Mazraoui 4 (Mount 46, 5), Casemiro 5 (Mainoo 58, 5), Bruno Fernandes 5, Dorgu 4 (Dalot 58, 5); Diallo 4, Mbeumo 5; Zirkzee 4. Booked: Casemiro.
Pickford 9; Coleman 6 (O'Brien 10, 7), Tarkowski 8, Keane 7, Mykolenko 7; Garner 7, Gueye 0; Ndiaye 7 (Iroegbunam 81, 6), Dewsbury-Hall 9 (Alcaraz 88, 6), Grealish 7 (O'Neill 88, 6); Barry 5 (Beto 82, 6). Sent off: Gueye.
Tony Harrington
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
