Some nights in the Premier League are just plain weird, and this was one of them. We all gathered to watch Manchester United take on Everton, but what unfolded at Old Trafford was a bizarre cocktail of drama, resilience, and sheer disbelief. In a match that will be talked about for years, Everton overcame the most surreal of setbacks—a player getting a straight red card for hitting his own teammate—to clinch a famous 1-0 win on the road.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Idrissa Gueye received a bizarre red card for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane, in the 13th minute.
- ✓ Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a sensational goal from outside the box to give 10-man Everton the lead.
- ✓ Jordan Pickford made a series of incredible saves to deny Manchester United, particularly from Joshua Zirkzee.
- ✓ Everton secured their first win at Old Trafford since 2013, moving them to 11th in the Premier League table.
- ✓ Manager David Moyes celebrated his first-ever win as a visiting manager at Old Trafford in 18 attempts.
A Red Card for the Ages
Let's just get straight to it, because it’s the moment everyone is talking about. Only 13 minutes into the game, a close call from United's Bruno Fernandes sparked a heated argument between Everton's Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane. Things escalated quickly. Keane appeared to push his teammate away twice, but Gueye retaliated with an open-handed slap to Keane’s face.
Referee Tony Harrington, who had a clear view of the incident, didn't hesitate. Out came the straight red card for violent conduct. Jordan Pickford had to step in to separate the two, and just like that, Everton were down to 10 men with nearly 80 minutes left to play at Old Trafford. You just can’t make this stuff up. The call was checked and confirmed by VAR, with the action deemed a "clear strike to the face."
This wasn't just a moment of madness; it was historically rare. According to Opta, it was only the third time since 2000-01 that a player has been sent off for clashing with a teammate. It immediately brought back memories of the infamous Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer scrap for Newcastle in 2005, and Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin going at it in 2008. Gueye joined a very exclusive, and not particularly proud, club.
Dewsbury-Hall's Unforgettable Strike
You'd think going down to 10 men so early at Old Trafford would be a death sentence. But for Everton, it seemed to galvanize them. Just 16 minutes after the sending-off, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall decided to write his own script. He picked up the ball, danced past a couple of weak tackles from Fernandes and Leny Yoro, and unleashed an absolute rocket.
The shot curled beautifully into the top-right corner, a goal-of-the-month contender that left the stadium stunned. Speaking after the match, the hero himself described it perfectly: "Rollercoaster game. I’ll sleep well tonight." He even admitted he didn't know he "had that in the locker" with his right foot. It was a moment of individual brilliance that completely overshadowed the earlier chaos.
United's Toothless Attack
For Manchester United, this was a golden opportunity squandered. Playing against 10 men for over 75 minutes, you'd expect them to lay siege to the Everton goal. And on paper, they did. The stats tell a story of dominance: 75% possession and 14 attempts on goal compared to Everton's zero after the goal. But the reality on the pitch was far different.
United's attack was described as "turgid" and "hit and hope." Crosses were pumped into the box from Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, but Everton's towering defenders, Tarkowski and Keane, dealt with everything. With key players like Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha injured, the attack lacked creativity and a cutting edge. One fan emailed in during the match, perfectly summing it up: "It almost looks like their forwards are marking the Everton defenders."
The Pickford Wall
When United did manage to create a clear chance, they came up against an inspired Jordan Pickford. The Everton keeper was in phenomenal form, producing a string of crucial saves. His most spectacular stop came in the 79th minute against Joshua Zirkzee. The United forward’s header was looping towards the far corner, looking like a certain goal, but Pickford somehow sprang to his right and tipped the ball wide. It was an absolutely absurd save that kept his team's lead intact.
He also produced a brilliant diving save to deny a long-range effort from Fernandes and another stop to tip a Zirkzee header over the bar. It was a goalkeeping masterclass that underscored United's frustration and Everton’s sheer determination to hold on for a historic victory.
The Aftermath: Contrasting Fortunes
For United's manager, Ruben Amorim, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, especially as it fell on the one-year anniversary of his first match in charge. He was brutally honest afterward, stating, "This performance surprised me... We dropped our level. We didn’t play as a team." He felt it was more than a missed opportunity, calling the result "really bad" and admitting he was more concerned by the feeling he had during the game.
On the flip side, what a night for David Moyes. This was his first-ever win as a visiting manager at Old Trafford, coming on his 18th attempt. He was "incredibly proud" of his players and their resilience. He also revealed that Idrissa Gueye had stood up and apologized to the entire squad after the game, and his teammates applauded him for it. "Big enough to stand up and say he made a mistake. I've accepted it, we all move on," Moyes added.
Gueye himself took to social media to apologize publicly to Keane, his teammates, and the fans, calling his reaction unjustified. Match-winner Dewsbury-Hall confirmed the apology, calling the incident a "moment of madness" but adding, "It made us a grow as a team." It seems the bizarre event, against all odds, actually strengthened their resolve.
Conclusion
In the end, this was a match that defied all logic. Everton, reduced to 10 men in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, didn't just hang on; they fought, scored a world-class goal, and defended for their lives to earn a victory for the history books. It was a testament to their resilience and a damning indictment of Manchester United's inability to break down a determined, albeit shorthanded, opponent.
The win catapulted Everton to 11th in the table, level on points with United and, for the first time since 2015, above their rivals Liverpool. It was a chaotic, unforgettable night of football that proved once again why the Premier League is the most unpredictable league in the world. From a slap to a stunner, this game had it all.
