Manchester United manager Michael Carrick insists his side’s start to the Premier League season is “not that bad” after conceding two late goals to draw 2-2 against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
United looked set to claim all three points on Merseyside after Bryan Mbeumo scored early in the second half and Benjamin Sesko restored their lead in the 88th minute.
However, long-range strikes from Tyrique George and Ainsley Maitland-Niles saw Everton snatch a point, leaving United with just four points from their opening three league fixtures.
“It’s not that bad,” Carrick said after the match. “We were that close to coming away with three points today. That’s football—there are moments we can deal with a bit better, but we’ll be fine.”
Defensive concerns remain
The draw highlights ongoing defensive vulnerabilities for United, who have conceded twice in each of their three opening matches against Hull City, Ipswich Town, and Everton.
Having focused their summer transfer budget on midfield signings—Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and the injured Carlos Baleba—questions remain over the decision not to strengthen an ageing backline.
Addressing the defensive record, Carrick acknowledged room for improvement:
“We need to concede fewer goals to give us a better chance of winning games, but we’ll certainly look at that and keep improving,” Carrick said. “There’s obviously things we need to get better at as a team.”
Praise for returning Rashford
Despite the frustration, Carrick praised the performance of forward Marcus Rashford, who returned to the club after previous loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona under former manager Ruben Amorim.
“He’s done ever so well since he came back. He looked really sharp again today and dangerous,” Carrick noted. “He created really good opportunities and gave us a big threat throughout the game.”
The result leaves United facing immediate pressure ahead of a tough fixture against local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford next weekend.
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