Chapter 656: Stealing the Show
Gueye reacted quickly, sticking out his right foot in an attempt to trip Bruno.
In that split second, Bruno responded instinctively. With a graceful crossover move resembling a "flower kick" technique, he nudged the ball past Gueye. At the same time, he shifted his body to the side, evading Gueye and chasing down the ball.
"What a fantastic dribble!"
"Simply sensational!"
Commentators from all over the world heaped praise on Bruno's dazzling display of skill.
As soon as Bruno regained control of the ball, he ignored Walcott, who was rushing in to pressure him. Before Walcott could reach him, Bruno made a pinpoint pass.
Simultaneously, Harry Kane escaped Zouma's marking and darted toward the penalty area. His movement was impeccable, as Marcus Rashford's earlier run had dragged Michael Keane out of position.
Kane had created enough space for himself. As he reached the ball, poised to either shoot or continue dribbling, the assistant referee raised his flag, and the referee blew his whistle.
"Offside! Referee Jon Moss has called Kane offside."
On the sidelines, Mourinho was on the verge of losing it. This was already the second offside call against United in the opening seven to eight minutes—a frequency that was starting to feel excessive.
Mourinho vehemently protested the decision, convinced Kane had been onside and that this was a golden chance squandered by the referee's error.
Frustration on the Sidelines
As Mourinho fumed on the touchline, Everton's coach Marco Silva was all smiles. He shouted toward Mourinho, "José, you were offside! Stop complaining!"
Mourinho turned his head, resisting the urge to march over and deal with his Portuguese compatriot personally.
Meanwhile, Everton fans at Old Trafford's away section were jubilant, jeering Harry Kane and hurling insults to rattle him.
Such antics were hardly unique to Everton. Across football, fans regularly resort to similar behavior. Even United's own fans had been known to employ such tactics.
For instance, during past clashes with Chelsea, United supporters had loudly chanted the name of Wayne Bridge's ex-wife to mock John Terry. In another instance, before Fabregas's move to Barcelona, United fans had chanted "Barça! Barça! Barça!" every time he touched the ball, leaving Wenger visibly furious.
The Replay
A slow-motion replay revealed that Kane and Zouma were in line at the moment Bruno passed the ball.
"That was a bad call," analyst Andy Gray noted. "Moss got it wrong. Mourinho has every right to be furious. After today, Jon Moss might replace Mike Dean as Mourinho's least favorite referee."
Everton's Free Kick
Everton goalkeeper Pickford took the resulting free kick.
In midfield, Maguire outmuscled Richarlison, heading the ball back toward his team. Kanté intercepted it ahead of André Gomes, quickly passing it to Gündoğan.
The German midfielder controlled the ball, adjusted his position, and sent a perfectly weighted diagonal pass forward.
"Beautiful! What an accurate pass!"
Mbappé was in position upfield, with Coleman marking him closely.
As the ball approached, Coleman advanced, looking to intercept. However, he misjudged the ball's trajectory, causing hesitation.
For a defender, hesitation is the ultimate enemy.
Seizing the moment, Mbappé controlled the ball with his back to goal, turned sharply, and began accelerating. Coleman, now realizing his mistake, scrambled to recover.
"I can't let him into the box!" Coleman thought as he reached out to grab Mbappé's jersey in desperation.
Knowing this wasn't a last-man situation and unlikely to result in anything more than a yellow card, Coleman opted for a tactical foul.
As soon as Coleman's hand grabbed Mbappé's jersey, the French forward tumbled to the ground.
"Tweet!" Referee Jon Moss blew his whistle.
The Decision
Coleman, fully expecting to escape with a warning or a yellow card at worst, spread his hands innocently and protested, "I didn't do anything!"
Michael Keane, watching nearby, stifled a laugh. The blatant jersey pull had been clear as day.
But when Jon Moss jogged into the box and pointed to the penalty spot, Keane's smirk vanished.
Coleman's expression turned to one of disbelief, confusion, panic, and anger—a mix of emotions too complex for words to fully describe.
"Penalty!"
Chaos Ensues
Old Trafford erupted, with United fans celebrating the decision.
Mourinho smirked on the sidelines, muttering to himself, "Serves him right. Coleman thought he could get away with that nonsense?"
Meanwhile, Marco Silva was irate, pacing furiously on the sidelines and shouting at the fourth official.
Bruno Fernandes calmly stepped up to take the penalty, placing the ball on the spot with his usual composure.
The referee blew the whistle. Bruno stutter-stepped in his run-up, sending Pickford diving the wrong way before smoothly slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
"GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!"
"Bruno Fernandes! The world's best player continues to shine! Manchester United equalize, 1–1!"
Referee Jon Moss awarded a penalty.
On the sidelines, Marco Silva, who had just been comfortably seated and even considered praising Coleman for his tactical foul, suddenly leapt from his seat as if pricked by a needle. He roared in disbelief, "How can that be a penalty?! It was outside the box!"
Meanwhile, Mourinho, who had barely begun to curse at the tactical foul that interrupted United's attack, saw Moss point to the penalty spot. His demeanor instantly shifted as he bolted from his seat, pumped his fist in excitement, and yelled toward Silva, "Listen to the referee, Marco! Stop causing a scene!"
A Controversial Call
"Replay shows that Coleman's foul occurred right on the edge of the penalty box, but Mbappé fell inside the box," Andy Gray observed. "This appears to be another questionable decision from Moss."
Marco Silva was too incensed to spar with Mourinho. On the sidelines, he fumed and muttered angrily, nearly breaking into a full tirade against the referee's decision. His assistant coach had to physically drag him back to the technical area.
Jon Moss sternly warned Silva that any further dissent would result in his banishment to the stands.
Reluctantly, Silva retreated, glaring at the referee with undisguised fury. On the other side, Manchester United's camp erupted into cheers, while Old Trafford roared with approval.
The Penalty
Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the penalty spot, confident as ever. Mourinho had designated him as the team's primary penalty taker, trusting his exceptional composure under pressure.
As Moss blew the whistle, Bruno took his signature stutter-step run-up and struck a low, powerful shot. Though Pickford guessed the right direction, the sheer force and precision of the shot made it unstoppable.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOAAALLLLLLL!!!!"
"Manchester United equalize through a penalty from Bruno Fernandes! It's 1–1!"
The camera panned to Mourinho, who was celebrating with both arms raised high, a stark contrast to Marco Silva's stormy expression.
An Eventful First Half
Throughout the first half, referee Jon Moss was the center of attention. First, he controversially disallowed United's potential breakaway goal for offside. Then, he awarded a highly debatable penalty to United.
Neither side was pleased with his officiating, and his decisions added tension to an already heated encounter.
Another Controversial Decision
In the 39th minute, Richarlison turned inside the box and fired a shot that struck Maguire. The referee blew his whistle again, pointing to the penalty spot and booking Maguire for handball.
"Penalty! Moss awards another penalty, this time for Everton! He believes Maguire handled the ball and issues him a yellow card."
Mourinho exploded on the touchline, shouting, "Handball? Where? Open your eyes and look properly!"
Jon Moss responded with a warning to Mourinho, who had to be dragged back by his assistants, Carrick and Faria.
On the opposite touchline, Marco Silva celebrated jubilantly, pumping his fists in the air.
A Familiar Scene
The commentators couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. "This feels like déjà vu, but with the roles reversed," one quipped.
Slow-motion replays showed that the ball had struck Maguire's shoulder, making the handball decision highly questionable.
Everton's Lead
Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson stepped up to take the penalty and calmly slotted it past De Gea.
"GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!"
"Everton take the lead! It's 2–1, with Sigurdsson converting the penalty!"
The first half ended with Manchester United trailing 1–2 at home.
Heated Exchanges
As the whistle blew for halftime, both managers rushed toward Jon Moss to air their grievances. Their animated complaints, filled with gesturing and shouting, were a spectacle in themselves.
Moss, clearly overwhelmed, was eventually joined by his assistant referees, who helped defuse the situation. Amid loud boos from the Old Trafford crowd, the officiating crew left the field in a hurry.
Frustration Boils Over
Back in the dugout, Mourinho muttered angrily, "If it weren't for that blind referee, we'd be leading 2–1 right now!"
Marco Silva, equally agitated, fired back, "Get real, old man. It should be 3–0 in our favor!"
Their so-called "friendly rivalry" seemed to unravel in real time as assistants hurried to separate the two coaches. Silva stormed off with a dismissive snort, while Mourinho spat on the ground, grumbling to himself.
Their "friendship," flimsy as it was, had capsized entirely.
(To be continued...)
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