Moyes must drop 28-touch Everton star who was saved by Maitland-Niles

For long stages of the clash with Manchester United this afternoon, it looked as though Everton’s unbeaten start to the new campaign was evaporating in front of their very eyes.

Bryan Mbeumo and substitute Benjamin Sesko twice put Michael Carrick’s men ahead, but David Moyes’ side showcased their never-say-die attitude to get themselves off the canvas.

Goals from Tyrique George and a 96th-minute wonder strike from debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles secured a fifth point of the Premier League campaign for the Toffees.

However, such efforts will only gloss over the performances of numerous starters who ultimately failed to produce their best performance at the Hill Dickinson this afternoon.

The Everton players who failed to deliver against Man Utd

Everton’s issues at right-back have been long-standing, with midfielder Merlin Rohl selected to start the encounter with Carrick’s side in such a position this afternoon.

The German once again struggled in a somewhat unfamiliar role, as seen by his ground duels tally – which saw him enter 60% of the battles he entered on Merseyside.

The 24-year-old also failed to make a single tackle during the stalemate, whilst only picking out a teammate with 50% of his crosses after marauding forward with the ball.

He certainly wasn’t alone in failing to deliver for Moyes’ men, as Harrison Armstrong was unable to deliver his best performance after events over recent days.

The teenager was the subject of a bid from Nottingham Forest last week and looked set to depart until the hierarchy cancelled a deal after protests from the supporters.

Such a situation appeared to have an impact on his display, as the midfielder failed to make any interceptions – something which is usually a big asset in his game.

Armstrong only managed to win 50% of his total duels during the encounter, with the youngster enduring somewhat of an off day by his usual high standards.

Everton star must be dropped after Man Utd display

The debut impact of right-back Maitland-Niles off the bench will fill Everton fans with hope that he can be a long-term solution to their ongoing issues in such an area.

His thunderous strike saved Moyes’ men from falling to their first defeat of the campaign and subsequently extended the current unbeaten run in all competitions to four games.

Such a display off the bench will surely make him a starter for the Toffees’ next league game, but the same can’t be said for new winger Brennan Johnson.

The Welshman, who joined from Crystal Palace this summer, was handed his first start for the Toffees this afternoon, but it’s safe to say he failed to repay the manager’s faith.

He featured for 66 minutes of the score draw this afternoon, but massively struggled to provide the positive impact desired of him within the attacking third.

The 25-year-old only managed to register 28 touches of the ball, a figure which was nearly two times lower than that of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford – showcasing his struggles in forward areas.

However, when Johnson did have possession of the ball, he also struggled to provide the goods, subsequently failing to pick out a teammate with any of the crosses he attempted.

The Welsh international was caught offside on two occasions too, as he was often in the wrong place when others around him tried to provide him with the platform to impress.

United often had the winger under control during the contest, with Johnson only able to win 20% of the five duels he entered at the Hill Dickinson earlier today.

His misery was compounded by his booking and withdrawal from the contest in the second half – as Moyes clearly thought Jack Grealish could pose a bigger threat to the visitors.

After such a turbulent period at Palace, Johnson will undoubtedly need time to settle into life on Merseyside to try and reach the heights he achieved at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, there’s no denying his showing this afternoon was a disappointing one, and one which could see him drop back down to the bench next weekend.