Tyrique George's 8.2 was the biggest number from Everton's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, but the ratings story did not stop with the match's top score. Everton's substitutes changed the game late on, with Jack Grealish's 24-minute cameo, Hayden Hackney's assist and Ainsley Maitland-Niles' stoppage-time equaliser giving the bench a bigger say than most of the starters in Everton vs Manchester United.

United still had one clear standout. Bryan Mbeumo scored in the 46th minute and finished as their highest-rated player on 7.9, but by the end the late momentum belonged to Everton.

Everton's bench changed the game

This was the kind of draw that makes player ratings more interesting than the scoreline alone. George took the headline number at 8.2 after scoring Everton's second-half equaliser in the 83rd minute, and he drove their attack from the right. Yet the result turned because Everton kept finding a new source of energy from the bench.

Grealish came on in the 66th minute and played 24 minutes. He did not score, and he was not credited with the assist, but his role in Everton's finish was obvious enough from the match report and the ratings notes. Speaking on bbc.co.uk, the BBC Sport match analyst wrote: "Jack Grealish (on 66): Ran at Diogo Dalot and drew a yellow card from the Man Utd man. Clearly determined to make an impact. His presence roused Everton's fans for a big finish."

That description fits the shape of the closing stages. Grealish gave Everton a player willing to carry the ball and force the issue, and the game became far less comfortable for United once he entered.

Hackney then came on in the 75th minute and supplied the pass for the equaliser. Two minutes after that, Maitland-Niles was introduced. He needed only 13 minutes on the pitch to score Everton's stoppage-time leveller.

BBC Sport's analyst called it directly: "Ainsley Maitland-Niles (on 77): The decisive contribition. 8." The spelling error is theirs, but the point is right. When a substitute arrives in the 77th minute and still finishes the night with the equaliser, that is where the ratings piece has to start.

Mbeumo led United, but Everton owned the finish

Mbeumo was still the best of United's players. His goal in the 46th minute gave them the lead, and his 7.9 rating put him clear at the top of the away side's scores. In a match where several big moments came late, he remained their most effective attacker.

There was also a strong contribution from the bench at the other end. Benjamin Šeško, on for 20 minutes, posted a 7.67 rating and almost stole the game for United. On another day that cameo might have framed the whole piece differently.

It did not, because Everton had more late interventions and more late production. George scored in the 83rd minute, Hackney supplied the final ball and Maitland-Niles applied the finish in stoppage time. That cluster of contributions is why Everton's substitutes sit at the centre of the ratings discussion.

The supporting cast matters in a game like this too, even without the full ratings list in front of us. Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Merlin Röhl and James Tarkowski all had roles in a match that kept shifting, but the decisive actions came from the players who entered after the hour.

The ratings verdict from a 2-2 draw

A 2-2 draw usually spreads credit around, but this one points in a pretty clear direction. George earned the top mark at 8.2, Mbeumo was United's best at 7.9, and Everton's bench supplied the moments that changed the result late on.

Grealish's cameo was the spark, Hackney delivered the assist, and Maitland-Niles finished the move after entering in the 77th minute. For a ratings piece, that is the main takeaway from Everton's draw with Manchester United.

FAQ

Why did Everton's substitutes matter so much against Manchester United?

Everton's bench changed the ratings and the result. Jack Grealish came on in the 66th minute and played 24 minutes, Hayden Hackney entered in the 75th minute and supplied the assist, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on in the 77th minute before scoring the stoppage-time equaliser after 13 minutes on the pitch.

Was Jack Grealish Everton's best substitute against Manchester United?

Grealish had the most visible impact on Everton's momentum, even without scoring. BBC Sport's match analyst said he ran at Diogo Dalot, drew a yellow card and helped rouse the crowd during his 24-minute cameo. But the decisive end product came from Hayden Hackney's pass and Ainsley Maitland-Niles' equaliser.

Who was Manchester United's best player in the draw with Everton?

Bryan Mbeumo was Manchester United's standout performer. He scored in the 46th minute and finished as United's highest-rated player on 7.9. Benjamin Šeško also made a strong impact from the bench with a 7.67 rating, but Mbeumo was still their clearest bright point.

How good was Tyrique George in Everton's draw with Manchester United?

Tyrique George was the highest-rated player in the match with an 8.2. He scored Everton's second-half equaliser in the 83rd minute and gave their attack real drive from the right side. In a game shaped by late changes, he still ended up with the top individual rating.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →