Everton line-up: Howard, Hibbert (Coleman 69'), Baines, Heitinga (Yakubu, 69'), Jagielka, Distin, Arteta (c), Cahill, Pienaar, Osman Fellaini
Manchester United line-up: Van Der Sar, Neville (c), Evra (Park, 81'), Vidic, O'Shea, Evans, Giggs, Nani, Scholes, Fletcher, Berbatov
The big news before the start of this game was that Rooney was left at home and wouldn't be playing against his former club. With that news Everton looked to take full advantage and emulate their victory over Manchester United at Goodison last season. They started on the better foot controlling possession and looking to spoil Sir Alex Ferguson's 700th Premier League match. With a virtually unknown front two in Fellaini and Cahill, who both are more suited to a midfield role, Everton looked to have no cutting edge in front of goal and their early possession looked to go to waste. United found a foothold in the game about twenty minutes in and despite still having less possession they looked far more deadly up front with Nani and Giggs providing the support for lone striker Berbatov. Tim Howard was arguably man of the match and had to pull off some fantastic saves to deny Scholes and Fletcher. Although Howard was beaten all ends up when John O'Shea tried a half volley which struck the post and went wide, before that Pienaar hit the crossbar at the other end from a free-kick. A cross from Nani was headed away to Scholes on the edge of the box, he then blasted the ball which deflected off Cahill and somehow despite diving the opposite way Howard managed to save the ball with his foot and concede a corner. From the corner the ball drifted over to the byline opposite which Cahill launched a hopeful ball which Evra failed to deal with and Mikel Arteta went one-on-one with Van der Sar, the goalkeeper managed to parry the shot and the ball fell to Leon Osman who calmly played the ball to Pienaar who dispatched it into the empty net to give Everton the lead. The lead only lasted for four minutes however when a quick break from United gave Nani the ball out on the wing, he provided a cross which was met by Fletcher to tap in form six yards and make sure the teams went in at half-time level.
Last season it was United who took the lead and then lost 3-1 and it looked like Everton were heading for the same outcome when Manchester United took the lead two minutes into the second half when Nani provided another cross, this time after a poor corner, and Vidic was on hand to head the ball home. From there United were looking comfortable in possession and could have had three but Berbatov and Nani both missed opportunities. Their third did arrive 66 minutes into the game when another inch perfect pass from Scholes split open the Everton defence to leave Berbatov one-on-one with Howard and the Bulgarian made no mistake, placing into the bottom corner. The game seemed to be over with United looking even more comfortable and again missing more opportunities. However Everton looked to have a grabbed a mere consolation in the first of three added minutes when Cahill headed a Leighton Baines cross. But the drama wasn't over and Cahill managed to get a header from a corner which was cleared to Arteta who struck a shot which took a deflection off Scholes and Everton grabbed an unlikely equaliser.
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