Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Everton's deadline-day signing from Lyon, marked his debut with a spectacular late strike to earn a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, becoming the first Everton player in eight years to score on his first appearance for the club. The 29-year-old right-back's dramatic introduction to English football since 2023 offered a rare moment of relief after a turbulent transfer window for the Merseyside club, and it followed a nomadic career that had seen him struggle to establish himself in France.

The goal came after an eight-day saga at Everton, which began with fury from fans over an accepted bid from Nottingham Forest for youngster Harrison Armstrong, a move the board later cancelled. To fund keeping Armstrong, Everton sold Iliman N'Diaye to Manchester City for up to £65m and also let Beto and Nathan Patterson leave, while a deal for Monaco's Folarin Balogun collapsed, leaving manager David Moyes with just 18 senior outfield players. Maitland-Niles, who had close to 100 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon but limited first-team assurance, said the "energy" and "spirit" at Everton had been evident from his first day.