Everton secured a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles scoring his first Premier League goal for the club and Tyrique George netting his first competitive strike. The win came amid a turbulent week for the Blues, marked by the return of Jack Grealish and the collapse of a deadline-day signing.
George shines despite Grealish return
Tyrique George, who arrived on loan from Chelsea on deadline day of the winter window, was drafted in after Grealish suffered a season-ending stress fracture in his left foot in the 1-0 win at Aston Villa on January 18. Despite Grealish's absence, George made 11 appearances, all but one from the bench, and Everton opted not to make his move permanent, instead renegotiating his asking price down by £7 million.
After a promising summer, including a goal in a 3-1 friendly win over Newcastle United at Murrayfield, George scored his first competitive goal for Everton in this match. His big moment came after Grealish entered the fray and George switched to the right wing. With Beto's departure to Fiorentina and the collapse of the Folarin Balogun signing, George could become the Blues' Plan B as a centre-forward option, but he showed here that he can strike the ball wherever he is deployed.
Armstrong receives fans' backing
Harrison Armstrong, who was the subject of a proposed sale to Nottingham Forest that was blocked after fan pressure, received the biggest cheer among Everton's players when their names were read out before kick-off. The midfielder, who made a successful early return from a loan spell at Preston North End, is now part of the Blues' starting line-up on merit. He was booked for a challenge on United captain Bruno Fernandes but produced another polished performance, showing maturity and composure.
Moyes had previously brought Armstrong on as a stoppage-time substitute in the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion to ensure there was a Scouser on the pitch for the opening competitive fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Now, the local lad is a regular starter, with players from this city needing no extra incentive when Manchester opponents come to town.
Hackney shows promise
Hayden Hackney, the £16.5 million acquisition from Middlesbrough, is still finding his feet in the Premier League but has shown encouraging signs. The 24-year-old, who was the Championship's Player of the Season for 2025/26, told this correspondent after his Everton debut at Stoke City that he is aiming for double figures in goals and assists. While his only registered assist is for George's opener here, he has had a big role in setting up the team's last three goals, including a corner for James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser at Bournemouth and the running that led to Ainsley Maitland-Niles' last-gasp leveller against Manchester United.
Right-back roulette
Everton have used four different players at right-back in their last two games. Merlin Rohl started in both against Bournemouth and Manchester United, while Tim Iroegbunam finished the Bournemouth game there before his deadline-day move to Hull City. When Rohl made way here, James Garner became a third central midfielder in the role, but he cramped up within seconds, allowing Maitland-Niles to make his long-awaited debut.
It was an eventful debut for the 29-year-old, who was at fault for failing to stop Luke Shaw's cross for Benjamin Sesko's goal, but he doubled his career Premier League tally to become, as cited by EFC Statto Bradley Cates, the first Everton player to score on his debut in the competition since Richarlison at Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2018. He is already ahead of previous number two Tony Hibbert on that front, with Hibbert having made 328 competitive appearances without a goal.
