Everton came from behind twice to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League in a Merseyside derby thriller as Liverpool were denied a stoppage-time winner by the video assistant referee.
Sadio Mane put the visitors ahead in the third minute but they were furious soon afterwards when a wild challenge by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford on Virgil van Dijk, committed after an offside decision, saw the defender having to go off injured with VAR failing to review the tackle.
Everton, who had won their previous seven games in all competitions, equalised swiftly at Goodison Park when Michael Keane headed in a corner from the outstanding James Rodriguez.
Liverpool, with Thiago Alcantara at the heart of everything, were back in front with 18 minutes left when Mohamed Salah volleyed in Yerry Mina’s poor clearance to set up a frantic finale, with only Pickford’s magnificent save from Joel Matip’s header keeping Everton in the hunt.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s towering header restored parity with nine minutes left but Everton were then reduced to 10 men when Richarlison was sent off for a wild challenge on Thiago.
Liverpool thought they had won it in stoppage time when Pickford could not keep out Jordan Henderson’s shot – but in a finish to match the chaotic nature of the game, Mane was adjudged to be offside after a lengthy wait for the VAR decision.
Everton and England keeper Pickford has been unable to stay out of the headlines this season as the spotlight has fallen on his faltering form – and he was the central figure in this eventful Merseyside derby.
When Everton were 1-0 down, he somehow escaped a red card for a challenge on Van Dijk that was dangerous enough to force Liverpool’s defender off, with the Dutchman looking in much discomfort as he made his way around the pitch.
He was then in more traditional action as he made a fine save from Trent-Alexander Arnold’s free-kick and then – with Liverpool no doubt feeling he should not even be on the pitch – he made a world-class save diving away to his right to keep out Matip’s header when it looked a certain goal with the score 2-1 in favour of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Even then his afternoon was not over as he scrambled back in vain after failing to hold Henderson’s shot – the relief clear when VAR ruled out the goal.
Everton may still not have beaten their great rivals in a decade but Carlo Ancelotti’s side will take great comfort from the manner in which they fought back twice and while Liverpool were the more consistent threat, there is a serious menace about this team that was not present last season.
Manchester United scored three late goals at Newcastle to earn victory and help ease the misery inflicted by the heavy defeat against Tottenham.
It was an incredible final few minutes for a team who looked as if they had blown their chance of three points following Bruno Fernandes’ failure from the penalty spot in the 58th minute.
United needed a positive reaction following that 6-1 thumping by Spurs before the international break, but their hopes suffered a blow when Emil Krafth’s cross came off defender Luke Shaw and beat keeper David de Gea.
Harry Maguire, who like his side has endured an unsettled period, equalised to haul the visitors back into the game.
And it looked as if the match was set to turn in their favour in the second half when referee Craig Pawson, after consulting the pitch-side monitor, judged Jamal Lewis to have fouled Marcus Rashford and awarded a penalty.
However, Fernandes, who previously had a 100% record from the spot for United, saw his fierce strike brilliantly pushed away by Karl Darlow.
The Portugal midfielder was not to be denied though and with four minutes remaining he finally beat the Magpies keeper with a thumping finish, before Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with his first for the club, and Rashford ensured United’s second win of the season.
There were sub-plots coming into this match, centring around how United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have his team set up after the defeat by Spurs, and how Maguire would perform.
The Norwegian stuck by his skipper, whose form has been inconsistent this season and who had been sent off playing for England during the recent international break.
The centre-back produced arguably his most confident display of the season and it was somewhat poetic that his precision header brought his side back into the match.
The other person in the United camp who experienced both bitter and sweet was Fernandes. He had previously scored 10 out of 10 from the spot for the Red Devils but his run was brought to an emphatic stop by the flying Darlow.
But the visitors did not allow their heads to drop, unlike at Old Trafford two weeks ago, and breached the final line of defence once again when Fernandes smacked his angled strike high past the past the Magpies keeper after a glorious move down the left.
Wan-Bissaka, on his 50th appearance for the club, produced an equally thunderous finish from the right before Rashford slotted in a well deserved goal for himself.
The England striker, 22, without his familiar strike partners Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood, once again produced a very mature display.
Stand-in skipper Raheem Sterling scored the only goal as Manchester City returned to winning ways in their Premier League clash with Arsenal.
Sterling, given the armband by manager Pep Guardiola with Fernandinho on the bench and Kevin de Bruyne injured, finished off the rebound after Phil Foden’s 23rd-minute shot had been saved.
Arsenal had chances to level but City keeper Ederson denied them with three excellent first-half saves and both David Luiz and Pepe were off target with free-kicks in good positions after the break.
The result extended a miserable run of away results against their fellow ‘top six’ members for Arsenal. They have now failed to win in their last 29 such meetings, since a success at City in 2015.
Guardiola is yet to drop a point against the Gunners in five encounters at Etihad Stadium since he succeeded Manuel Pellegrini as City manager in 2016.
More importantly for his side, after picking up a single point from their last two games, they were able to claim maximum points in this one.
The three points came even without De Bruyne and with the returning Sergio Aguero restricted to an hour’s action on his first appearance since June after recovering from a knee injury.
Aguero escaped a caution after placing his arm on assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis’ neck as he argued against a decision.