Manchester United Squanders Twice Lead but Draws 2-2 Against Everton in Preseason Friendly

In a preseason friendly match, Manchester United twice took the lead against Everton but ended with a 2-2 draw. The game, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the United States, saw both teams perform evenly. Disappointed with the draw, captain Bruno Fernandes sharply criticized his teammates.

On their U.S. tour, United had won their previous two matches against West Ham and Bournemouth. A victory against Everton was widely expected. Fernandes opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a penalty, giving United the lead. However, Everton’s Illiman Ndiaye equalized at the 40th minute.

In the 69th minute, Mason Mount again put United ahead. But the lead was short-lived as Everton leveled in the 75th minute through an own goal by Aiden Hewson. Neither side managed to score after that.

After the match, Fernandes said,
“We didn’t want to finish the match like this. We need to play our best, but that didn’t happen today. The players showed lethargy, which is dangerous for us. We need to change quickly or pay a heavy price.”

The Portuguese star added,
“Our quality is improving, but we still haven’t reached the desired performance. I don’t want to target anyone, but given the current financial situation, the club is trying its best. We need to involve the new players more.”