Leighton Baines secured a 1-1 draw for Everton by scoring a late penalty at the Stadium of Light this afternoon.
Hosting Sunderland took the lead during the second half through Sebastian Larsson, but his effort was cancelled out by visiting full-back Baines.
Here, Sports Mole has rated the performance of each of the players on show on Wearside.
SUNDERLAND
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Goal
Costel Pantilimon: When called upon today, the giant goalkeeper delivered. On this form, it could be a while before Vito Mannone gets his place back between the posts. (7/10)
Defence
Santiago Vergini: Often a figure of ridicule for a string of mistakes since his arrival in England, Vergini was solid defensively today. (6/10)
Wes Brown: The experienced defender was back in the starting lineup and he rolled back the years with a calm display at the heart of the defence. (7/10)
John O'Shea: With the familiarity of Brown alongside him, O'Shea looked slightly more comfortable. For most of the game, he helped to keep the Everton strikeforce quiet. (6/10)
Anthony Reveillere: Playing out of position at left-back, Reveillere thrived. He got up and down his flank for the entire 90 minutes, even when others around him were tiring. (7/10)
Midfield
Liam Bridcutt: The midfielder made one error that could have cost his side a goal, but aside from that, he was faultless in midfield. One block in the first half to deny Barkley was a particular highlight. (7/10)
Sebastian Larsson: Some will argue that the Swede does not score enough goals, but when he does find the net, they are usually impressive. Today was no different, with his effort accompanying a good performance. (7/10)
Jordi Gomez: In the side to add a creative spark, but he rarely got on the ball in dangerous areas. Having said that, he did put in a good shift. (6/10)
Adam Johnson: The winger has plenty of talent, but he struggles to transfer it on the pitch consistently. That was the case today as he struggled to make an impact during an anonymous showing which ended with him being replaced shortly after the hour mark. (4/10)
Attack
Connor Wickham: Got himself into some good positions, but on occasions his decision-making was poor. Even so, he did have the visiting rearguard worried at times. (6/10)
Steven Fletcher: Quite simply the Scot is Sunderland's main threat. He was left to feed of scraps for a lot of the game, but worked hard and got stuck in. (6/10)
Substitutes
Will Buckley: Was fouled in the build up to Sunderland's goal and generally livened up the team following his introduction at the expense of the ineffective Johnson. (7/10)
Jack Rodwell: No doubt determined to prove a point against his former club, Rodwell struggled to get many touches of the ball during the closing stages. (6/10)
EVERTON
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Goal
Tim Howard: The American was let down by those in front of him for the goal, but aside from that, it was a relatively quiet afternoon for the Everton goalkeeper. (6/10)
Defence
Leighton Baines: Strangely subdued during the first half, but Baines was much better after the restart as he started to get forward more and more. Kept his cool from the spot. (6/10)
Phil Jagielka: Fletcher is one of the Premier League's best strikers in the air, but Jagielka did well to clear numerous crosses into the box. (7/10)
Slyvain Distin: Similar to his partner Jagielka in that he helped to shackle Fletcher, as well as being calm in possession. (6/10)
Seamus Coleman: With his attacking teammates struggling to make an impact, Coleman raided forward impressively and won a penalty. Other than that, it was a steady outing from the right-back. (6/10)
Midfield
Gareth Barry: There wasn't much time for the experienced midfielder to stamp his authority on the game before he was stretchered off. (6/10)
James McCarthy: Playing in midfield, McCarthy was arguably Everton's best player. He covered so much ground and then when his team needed him most, he got back on the line to stop a certain goal in stoppage time. (7/10)
Aiden McGeady: There was the odd occasion where McGeady threatened, but he was too often on the periphery of the game and it was little surprise when he was substituted. (5/10)
Ross Barkley: The England international showed flashes of what he can do with a couple of positive runs, but he still looks to be lacking match fitness following his spell on the sidelines. (6/10)
Attack
Samuel Eto'o: The veteran frontman played in patches today. There were occasions when he looked lively, but others when he was quiet. Nevertheless, it was his expert pass that played in Coleman for the penalty. (6/10)
Romelu Lukaku: Another frustrating outing for Lukaku, who failed to convert one chance that he would have scored with his eyes closed last season. (5/10)
Substitutes
Darron Gibson: The biggest compliment that the Irishman can be paid is the fact that Barry's absence was not overly noticeable following his introduction. (6/10)
Steven Naismith: The Scot was thrown on in the hope that he could continue his recent scoring form, but he struggled to get involved. (6/10)
Leon Osman: Very little time for the midfielder to make an impact on proceedings, so marking him would be unfair.
Liam Apicella
