IT’S A GLEE TYPE JAG!
But Zlat penalty saves Jose
PHIL JAGIELKA was the unlikely goal hero as Everton took a shock lead at Old Trafford.
The Toffees defender has come in from the cold after a spell on the bench and showed he still has plenty to offer.
The 34-year-old sat out most of January and February, with Ramiro Funes Mori and Ashley Williams the defensive pair of choice for boss Ronald Koeman.
But Jags showed he still has plenty to offer with an impressive display at both ends against stuttering United.
Koeman binned the ‘three at the back’ tactic which failed in Saturday’s Merseyside derby defeat by Liverpool as he paired up Jagielka and Williams, despite their ageing legs.
They were up against the returning Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is far from lightning quick, which was evident when Williams got across to block him off early on.
Ibrahimovic compared himself to a lion in a pre-match interview but it was Jesse Lingard who flashed a shot wide as United’s momentum started to build. The problem for Everton’s defensive duo was they were going to have to deal with the pace of Marcus Rashford when he cut inside.
The England starlet showed his threat when he got on the end of a ball from Ibrahimovic, but he failed to find the net and would rarely trouble them again.
Everton had only won here once in their last 23 visits, so it wasn’t exactly the right trip to get over their Merseyside derby blues.
But Jose Mourinho’s men are not in full flight following a dreary home draw with West Brom.
Everton’s first chance fell to Kevin Mirallas but his strike was saved by David De Gea. But from the resulting corner, the Toffees took the lead in the 22nd minute.
The ball in was nodded on by Williams and Jagielka, with his back to goal, somehow hooked the ball around Marcos Rojo and through De Gea’s legs.
It was Jagielka’s first goal since May 2015 and Romelu Lukaku then fired a low shot just wide, but a stupid challenge from Mirallas on Lingard just outside the area gave United a chance to equalise.
Shocker
Daley Blind’s free-kick was saved by keeper Joel Robles before Ander Herrera’s effort hit the bar.
Robles, who had a shocker in the derby, was back on form as he pushed away a shot from Herrera.
Mourinho brought on Paul Pogba at the break for Blind in an attacking move.
And the £89m man hit the woodwork for United for a second time when he headed Ashley Young’s free-kick onto the bar. Mourinho played his last hand when he brought on Luke Shaw and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as United looked to avoid losing more ground on the top four.
Ibrahimovic thought he had the equaliser in the 71st minute when he headed in, but the linesman’s flag was up for offside.
But he did level it from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Williams blocked a shot from Shaw with his hand and was sent off by ref Neil Swarbrick, before Ibra slotted home from the spot. MAN UNITED (4-3-2-1): De Gea; Young, Bailly, Rojo, Blind; Herrera, Carrick, Fellaini; Lingard, Rashford; Ibrahimovic. Subs: Romero, Pogba, Martial, Mkhitaryan, Shaw, FosuMensah, Darmian.
EVERTON (4-3-2-1): Robles; Holgate, Jagielka, Williams, Baines; Gueye, Barry, Davies; Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku. Subs: Stekelenburg, Valencia, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Pennington, Kenny, Williams.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.