Man City vs Everton: An Overview
Premier League champions Manchester City welcomed Everton at the Etihad today, knowing that a win would see them leapfrog Liverpool into first position on the league table. Having seen their title charge punctured a bit in November and December last year following a series of disappointing results, the Sky Blues had built momentum once again after finding their best to close the gap on the Reds and revive their campaign.
On the other hand, Everton have found themselves in a relegation battle yet again. The Toffees survived in the top-flight by just two points last season, but face another battle in the ongoing campaign after winning just eight times all season and sitting in 18th place.
Also Read: Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara suffers another setback
Manchester City vs Everton: Match Report & Analysis
Man City huffed and puffed for the longest time, but managed to come away with a 2-0 victory over a resilient Everton side to clinch pole position on the table. Erling Haaland was the hero of the match with a late double, as the Toffees eventually crumbled to the pressure after weathering the storm for an unusually long time.
The Sky Blues were the dominant side throughout, playing on the attacking foot from early on, but struggled to carve out clear goalscoring opportunities. Everton had done a fine job of keeping it tight at the back, with none of Haaland, Julian Alvarez or Phil Foden getting a clear sight of goal. In fact, City ended the opening stanza with nine shots, but not a single one of them was on target – a first for the club at home since August 2022.
City also had an appeal for penalty turned down when Manuel Akanji’s shot came off the upper arm of James Tarkowski. The referee consulted the pitchside monitor, and following a close look, adjudged that it wasn’t worthy of a spot-kick.
The second half began in similar fashion, with City throwing the kitchen sink at their visitors, who continued to bare it all, but chances remained at a premium. In the 69th minute, Rodri fired a long-range attempt, but it flew wide, just as their earlier efforts. However, the champions weren’t to be denied for long.
Just two minutes later, Haaland finally broke the deadlock for Everton, much to Pep Guaridola’s relief. A corner is played into the box which is headed down by Ruben Dias, but the Portuguese’s effort is blocked. However, a poor clearance from Jarrad Branthwaite allowed Haaland to pounce and fire home the opener.
Frazzled by City’s goal, Everton committed bodies forward soon after, but it came back to bite them, with Haaland bagging a second in the 85th minute. De Bryune caught the Toffees on the break and then laid a throughball for Haaland, who tip-toed his way past Tarkowski like a training cone, before slotting home beyond Jordan Pickford for 2-0.
Everton’s confidence was completely shattered by now, but City continued to push for another goal. De Bryune had a good chance to make it 3-0 but his attempt landed onto the roof of the net. Nonetheless, three points were secured, and City climbed to the top of the table with 52 points from 23 games, just one ahead of Liverpool.
Man City vs Everton: Top Performers
Erling Haaland (10/10)
Even when he had a bad day, Erling Haaland managed to make the difference for Manchester City with a brace. Both his goals came as a result of top-drawer finishes, with the Norwegian ace making an excellent first-time finish and then showing exemplary composure to hold-up the ball well under pressure from Everton defenders for his second.
The fact that he completed only 11 passes tells you how peripheral he was to the game, but later ended up scoring from both his shots on target, which is rather a reflection of his devastating finishing skills. If you give him time and space, you pay a big price – that’s the lesson Everton went home with today.
Haaland also clinched a small piece of record. With his double tonight, he took his tally in the league to 51 goals from 50 games, the most goals ever managed by a player in the Premier League after 50 appearances. Another feather to his already bulging cap.
Kevin De Bruyne (8.5/10)
You can always count on Kevin De Bruyne to turn the match in City’s favor and that’s exactly what he did after coming off the bench. The Belgian replaced Matheus Nunes in the 57th minute and instantly added plenty of attacking impetus with his incisive passes and supreme link-up play.
He made four crosses in the game and laid one key pass, which led to Haaland’s second goal. De Bruyne scampered up on the break before laying it off for Haaland to drive forward before slotting it beyond Pickford.
Man City vs Everton: Match Point
Just like that, Manchester City have reclaimed their title initiative. After a run of just one win from six games in December, it seemed like the Sky Blues are on a form slump and could finally relinquish their crown. But fast forward your calendar by just two months, City are back at the top of the table, knocking Liverpool off the perch.
However, just one point separates the sides, which means we have a two-horse race on our hands going into the final 15 rounds of the league season. City, though, have their mojo back, winning their last six top-flight games in a row. It hasn’t been smooth, but the holders have managed to grind out results, nonetheless, which is the hallmark of a champion.
Also Read: Romeo Lavia remains sidelined for Chelsea ahead of Crystal Palace clash