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LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Marouane Fellaini was sent on as a late substitute to bolster Manchester United's defensive effort and help the team see out victory at Everton.
He ended up costing United the win.
With his first significant contribution, the oft-criticized Fellaini conceded a penalty with a clumsy challenge on Idrissa Gueye, and Leighton Baines converted the spot kick to earn Everton a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday.
It was United's fifth draw in its last seven matches, leaving the team in sixth place and 13 points behind league leader Chelsea as Jose Mourinho's side keep finding ways to throw away victory.
"We aren't getting the results we deserve," Mourinho said, in what is becoming a familiar post-match reaction.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave United the lead in the 42nd minute with an exquisite lobbed finish but it was a scrappy display by Mourinho's team in a game short of quality. United has won only two games since Aug. 27.
Aside from the late goal, a big talking point was a crude tackle from United defender Marcos Rojo in the 16th that might have justified a red card but only earned him a yellow.
A day after Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero was sent off for a knee-high lunge on Chelsea defender David Luiz, Rojo left the ground and dived two-footed — with his studs showing — into the leg of Gueye. Everton's players sprinted to referee Michael Oliver to urge him to show a red card, but the official surprisingly chose yellow instead.
That was the only notable incident of a disappointing first half until the goal from Ibrahimovic, which owed as much to the rashness of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg as to the Swedish striker's skill.
Ibrahimovic ran onto Anthony Martial's long ball forward but the situation looked relatively harmless for Everton until Stekelenburg chose to race out of his area in a bid to clear the ball. Ibrahimovic reached it first, deftly flicked the ball over the 'keeper and watched it bounce up against the bar, down onto the post, land on the goal-line and spin back over the line before Ramiro Funes Mori could clear.
Ibrahimovic stayed in the spotlight early in the second half when he landed heavily on Seamus Coleman as they battled for the ball before appearing to drop his foot on the head of the defender.
Ander Herrera struck the angle of post and bar with a close-range half-volley in the 60th before United faced a strong finish from Everton.
De Gea saved from Kevin Mirallas and Enner Valencia but was finally beaten by Baines.
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