Football – Manchester United is still searching for its first win of the season in the Premier League after squandering the lead in a 1-1 draw at Fulham yesterday.
Everton did get off the mark, though, beginning life in its new waterfront home at Bramley-Moore Dock with a 2-0 win over Brighton thanks to an impressive display by Jack Grealish.
United was looking to follow up a mostly encouraging display in defeat to Arsenal in the opening round last weekend and missed a chance to take a first-half lead against Fulham when Bruno Fernandes blazed a penalty over the crossbar, moments after stumbling into the referee.
It needed an own-goal by Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, who deflected in a header at a corner from United’s Leny Yoro, to give United the lead in the 58th.
Ruben Amorim’s team couldn’t hold on as substitute Emile Smith Rowe poked home a cross from Alex Iwobi for the 73rd-minute equaliser.
It means a United player has yet to score a goal this season following an offseason when the club spent around $270 million on revamping its attack with the additions of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. Sesko was a second-half substitute for the second straight match.
“We are very competitive in training, we all want to score goals and contribute to the team. We know when we come off the bench we have to work hard and try and score,” Smith Rowe told Sky Sports.
It was a first point for Fulham against United in nine home games as they moved up to 13th with two points while Ruben Amorim’s side are 16th with just a point from two games.
Everton kicked off the Hill Dickinson Stadium era with an emphatic 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion as Iliman Ndiaye netted the first goal at their new home.
James Garner also scored and Jack Grealish contributed two assists in his first start for Everton.
Fans were in buoyant mood at their new stadium on the River Mersey before Ndiaye, who also scored their last goal at Goodison Park, Everton’s home for 133 years, sparked bedlam when he tapped in Grealish’s cross in the 23rd minute.
“It was very special. We are coming here to try and get the victory. We didn’t begin the Premier League well last weekend (a 1-0 loss to Leeds) but it felt good to come here and give the fans what they deserve,” Ndiaye told Sky Sports.
Garner doubled Everton’s lead in the 52nd minute when Grealish played a perfect ball for him to unleash a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that sailed over a diving Bart Verbruggen into the net.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved a 77th-minute penalty from Danny Welbeck, awarded after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s handball, to complete a perfect afternoon for the hosts.
A smiling Grealish called it a “massive” victory.
“First game at the new stadium and we wanted to put on a show for the supporters. Very happy to get the win,” he said.
It looked like a new lease on life for Grealish, who joined Everton on loan from Manchester City to revive his stalled international career. His two goal involvements were as many as he managed in his previous 49 league appearances for City.
The 29-year-old started only seven league games last season and was left out of their squad for the Club World Cup. He was also omitted from the England squad for last year’s European Championship.
“I loved my time at Man City and I had a great four years there and won a lot of things,” Grealish said. “(But) as soon as I spoke to David Moyes on FaceTime, I wanted to come here and today shows why.”
Crystal Palace fans weren’t afraid to make their feelings known about Nottingham Forest during the teams’ 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
Palace, the FA Cup winner last season, was demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League last month for breaching Uefa rules on club ownership, in a saga the club believes was influenced by Forest and owner Evangelos Marinakis, who benefited by being promoted to the Europa League at Palace’s expense.
A spicy pre-match banner took a pop at Marinakis, as did some abusive chants from Palace’s notoriously boisterous supporters that also targeted Uefa.
Ismaila Sarr gave Palace a 37th-minute lead before Callum Hudson-Odoi equalized in the 57th for Forest, whose manager Nuno Espirito Santo was in the dugout for the match despite concerns about his job amid rising tensions with Marinakis over the summer.
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