Attacker impact as Leeds United's first opponents Everton hold Series winners with £133m new pair
Leeds United’s first Premier League opponents Everton were in action on Sunday night.
Everton bagged their best result of the summer two weeks before their opening weekend Leeds United trip as the 2025 Summer Series winners were held on Sunday night.
David Moyes’ side will provide United’s first opponents of their Premier League return in a Monday night fixture at Elland Road on August 18.
In the continued build-up to the new campaign, Daniel Farke’s Whites took in their fourth pre-season friendly of the summer on Saturday afternoon with the Elland Road visit of Villarreal for a contest that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Everton then took in their latest warm-up match on Sunday night with their third and final game of the 2025 Premier League Summer Series against Manchester United at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Toffees approached the fixture following back-to-back defeats
The Toffees approached the fixture following a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth and 2-1 reverse against West Ham in the competition but Everton held the Red Devils to a 2-2 draw which was still enough for Ruben Amorim’s side to be crowed 2025 Premier League Summer Series winners.
Big summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who cost £132.5m between them both started for the Red Devils who went ahead with 19 minutes on the clock through a Bruno Fernandes penalty, awarded after James Tarkowski had hauled down Amad Diallo.
Everton, though, who had earlier hit the post through Jake O’Brien, equalised five minutes before the interval as a fine delivery to the far left post from Idrissa Gueye picked out Iliman Ndiaye who produced a clinical finish into the opposite corner.
Mason Mount’s impressive strike on the turn then put Amorim’s men back in front in the 69th minute but an Ayden Heaven own goal from an Everton counter six minutes later levelled the tie at 2-2 which is the way it stayed.
Summer signing Carlos Alcaraz started for Everton for whom fellow new boys Adam Aznou and Theirno Barry both came off the bench. New keeper Mark Travers was an unused substitute as Jordan Pickford played the full match in goal.