Kevin de Bruyne was the first to miss in the opening period, seeing the Dutch goalkeeper push his effort away, and Sergio Aguero saw the same outcome in the second half.

Despite dominating possession, City went behind as Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring with a cool finish.

Nolito headed in for the hosts from David Silva’s inch-perfect cross, but De Bruyne had a drive brilliantly saved by Stekelenburg, as City failed to find the winner.

Following their perfect start to the season when they won their opening six games, City have stumbled in their past two with defeat at Tottenham and this draw against Everton.

Boss Pep Guardiola stood scratching his head on the touchline in the second half, during a game in which his side had 19 shots and 72% possession but only found the net once.

Leroy Sane was given his first Premier League start for City and the German international showed his promise with an impressive performance, while Raheem Sterling also threatened with his pace.

But it was the host’s philosophy of trying to work the ball into the net which let them down, finding a resolute Everton defence that sat deep to snuff out wave after wave of opposition attack.

Having somehow fallen behind, City did manage to grab an equaliser through substitute Nolito’s header from close range.

Ronald Koeman’s side could have broken into the top-four with victory, and took the lead against the run of play through Lukaku, who ran clear from the halfway line and slid home the opener.

Team-mate Ashley Williams showed his steeliness at the back by making 13 clearances – more than any other player on the pitch.

But defensive partner Phil Jagielka had a shocker, conceding both penalties after tripping Silva by sticking his leg out and a hack on Aguero inside the area.

Everton had goalkeeper Stekelenburg to thank for keeping out two spot-kicks, as well as further excellent stops from Aguero – who started on the bench – and De Bruyne.

The Belgian, in his attempts to get City on the front foot, lost possession 32 times in the match.

Centre-back John Stones made 77 league appearances for Everton before joining City in the summer for a huge £47.5m.

Although he is now learning to bring the ball forward at the right time and clearing it to safety when required, there is still work to do on the Englishman’s game.

For Everton’s goal, he found himself beyond the halfway line, failing to win the ball as Bolasie intelligently nipped in front to nick the ball.

It left City with a gaping hole in defence, and Lukaku against Gael Clichy was no contest as the Belgian shrugged past the Frenchman to score.

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After Steve Sidwell had given the visitors the lead against the run of play in the first half, it looked like late goals from Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick had earned United their third consecutive home league win.

But half-time substitute Bent headed in after David De Gea had saved Kieran Richardson’s shot to deflate the home supporters and United boss David Moyes, whose side had dominated the game.

For all United’s attacking play and 81 crosses, the most by a Premier League team since 2006, Fulham defended heroically as debutant Johnny Heitinga, fellow centre-back Dan Burn and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg excelled.

And though some might say the point was undeserved given Fulham had three shots on target, it represented a significant result for Meulensteen, who had won only three of his previous 11 Premier League games since taking charge in December.

In contrast, it was another low for Moyes, whose side have already lost five games at Old Trafford this season and now sit nine points behind fourth-placed Liverpool as their pursuit of a Champions League place took a serious dent.

Meulensteen, who was first-team coach under former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson before leaving the club when Moyes took over, watched his side come under pressure from the start.

And their opener came against the run of play as United’s defenders failed to pick up Sidwell’s run, with the Englishman guiding home on the volley after being found by Lewis Holtby’s excellent chip.

Van Persie was denied by a superb Sascha Riether tackle prior to the goal and the United forward should have equalised moments after the opener, when he skied Rafael’s cross at the back post.

Urged on by a noisy crowd, with United trying out their singing section again, the hosts continued to bombard Fulham’s goal from a succession of crosses. Ashley Young and Carrick went close to scoring an equaliser and Stekelenburg also saved another Carrick effort before Sidwell blocked Van Persie’s follow-up.

But as Moyes’s side camped in the Fulham half there was always a danger they would be susceptible to a counter-attack.

The visitors should have gone further ahead when Swedish teenager Muamer Tankovic burst forward on his Premier League debut to play in Richardson, but the former United player scooped over the bar with only De Gea to beat.

Having enjoyed 72% possession in the first half, the hosts strengthened their grip on the game after the break with Wayne Rooney almost connecting with Van Persie’s cross before being denied by a superb Stekelenburg save.

With Fulham posing less of a threat, Moyes went for all-out attack by introducing Adnan Januzaj, Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez as Rooney dropped into midfield.

The policy was rewarded when Van Persie tucked in Juan Mata’s centre after 78 minutes, before Carrick drove in a deflected effort from the edge of the area two minutes later.

That looked like it would be enough but Sidwell again burst forward to play in Richardson, and when his shot was stopped, Bent headed home the equaliser.

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