Everton battled hard but were unable to overcome Manchester United in an entertaining FA Cup third round tie.
Yet while Frank Lampard could point to positives from the display - and the players appeared to fight for him - there were wider narratives at play. What the future holds for the Blues boss remains uncertain.
While focus may have been on Lampard, this was a game of fascinating duels across the pitch and which was defined by key events - including the ankle ligament injury that led to Alex Iwobi being stretchered off. Beyond the highlights, here are a few moments that may have gone unnoticed.
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Seamus Coleman shows his appreciation
After the disaster that unfolded against Brighton and Hove Albion in midweek, club captain Seamus Coleman still went to the fans on the final whistle to show his appreciation for their support. He was the last one to applaud them on Tuesday and then, on Friday night, he was the first. Coleman, in for the injured Nathan Patterson, led his side out onto the Old Trafford pitch and his first thoughts appeared to be directed to the more than 9,000 Blues in the away end - whose support he immediately acknowledged.
Amadou Onana gets the better of Casemiro for another goal
Amadou Onana was impressive in the middle on Friday night, winning battles and protecting possession under pressure. He was key to Everton getting back into the game and worked hard across an entertaining battle with Bruno Fernandes that saw the United player booked for a nasty late tackle on the Belgium international. Onana's most influential moment came in the build up to Everton's equaliser, as he shrugged off Casemiro to win a ball headed into the box by Ben Godfrey. Onana then fed Neal Maupay, whose cross somehow squirmed through David de Gea's legs and into the path of Conor Coady. Casemiro has been a big part of Man United's upturn in form but this was the second time Onana had got the better of him for a goal this season - the 21-year-old snatching the ball from him in the build up to Alex Iwobi's stunning strike at Goodison Park in October.
Frank Lampard and Erik ten Hag check their watches
After Antony's early goal it looked as though Everton were in danger of being overwhelmed. The hosts started brightly, grabbed the opener and continued to threaten for the first 10 minutes until the away side managed to get a foothold in the game before grabbing an equaliser through Conor Coady. The rest of the first half was an entertaining affair but United finished the stronger of the two and half-time came at a useful moment for Lampard. He had to wait for it though. As the stoppage time ticked on and his concern grew, he appeared to ask Erik ten Hag in the opposite dugout what time he had in an obvious gesture that may have been designed to show he was questioning whether the referee was going beyond the allotted minutes.
Neal Maupay takes his frustration off the pitch
Neal Maupay led the line for Everton and was involved in a duel with Luke Shaw throughout the hour he spent on the pitch before being replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The striker fought to hold the ball up and enjoyed more success than in previous games with Shaw playing at centre back as opposed to a defender far taller than him. Maupay, who provided the cross for Coady's equaliser, was left frustrated by the decisions of the officials throughout the battle though, feeling he should have been awarded a succession of free-kicks. When he came off the pitch he held his ground in front of the technical boxes and showed his frustration to fourth official Simon Hooper as he continued to argue his case for better protection.
Talented starlets back with the Under-21s
A lot has changed since the Boxing Day defeat to Wolves and the matchday squad was evidence of this. Tom Cannon, Isaac Price and Stanley Mills were all said to be considered 'first team' players as Everton approached January. All three had enjoyed impressive performances in Australia for the Sydney Super Cup and for the U21s and Cannon in particular had momentum behind him after being involved in the Bournemouth league and cup games that concluded the first section of the season. The FA Cup may have been seen as an opportunity to give them more experience of the senior matchday squad but, with Ellis Simms having returned from loan, Dominic Calvert-Lewin recovering from injury, and possibly because of the pressure Lampard is currently under, all three were instead on duty for Paul Tait's U21s on Friday night. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United, with Cannon scoring Everton's goal from a free-kick.
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