David Moyes hailed his Everton side's fighting spirit after they twice fought back from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium, a result that kept their unbeaten start to the season intact despite a chaotic transfer deadline day that left the manager short on options up front.
The match swung back and forth, with United taking the lead through Bryan Mbeumo before Tyrique George produced a stunning equaliser to level matters and restore belief among the home supporters. United struck again when Benjamin Sesko found the net, seemingly poised to hand Erik ten Hag's men all three points. But Everton had other ideas, and the closing stages produced a moment that will live long in the memory of those inside the stadium.
Deadline-day arrival Ainsley Maitland-Niles, signed for a fee of £4.3m from Lyon, was thrown into the action in the 77th minute after James Garner was forced off with cramp. With barely any time to settle into his new surroundings, the versatile Englishman produced a moment of magic deep into stoppage time, curling home a 25-yard effort in the 96th minute to snatch a dramatic point for the Toffees.
The result arrived at the end of a turbulent week for Everton, whose deadline-day business left them with a threadbare squad and only Thierno Barry as a recognised senior striker. Speculation had circled around how the upheaval might affect morale, but Moyes insisted the opposite had happened, with the disruption instead galvanising his group.
"It was the exact opposite," Moyes said when asked whether the transfer window's fallout could have damaged his squad's spirit. "I said to the players there would be no excuses from any of us and the players all agreed. The players hugely bought into it."
The Everton manager went further, suggesting that a smaller squad could, in some circumstances, sharpen focus rather than weaken it. "It can hurt you being a player down but it can also have the opposite reaction," he explained. "Sometimes when you have less players it means everybody has to be ready and you have to find a way of making it work. Who knows how it will go? It will be difficult when we have three games a week."
Moyes was also full of praise for the quality of both Everton goals, singling out the composure and technique shown by Maitland-Niles in particular, given the newcomer had barely had time to integrate with his teammates before the match.
"If nobody knew you that goal would get you plenty of headlines," Moyes said of the match-winning contribution. "It was a brilliant goal, brilliant technique. We have not had a chance to get to know Ainsley but it was a great start from him."
The draw means Everton remain unbeaten so far this season, a notable achievement given the circumstances surrounding the squad following the transfer deadline. With fixtures set to come thick and fast, Moyes acknowledged the challenges ahead but appeared encouraged by the character his players showed in salvaging a result against a Manchester United side that twice looked to have done enough to win.
For United, the draw will be a frustrating outcome having led the match on two separate occasions through Mbeumo and Sesko, only to be pegged back each time by a resilient Everton outfit determined not to let their difficult week define their campaign.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.