Manchester City rediscover their swagger in second half to punish Everton

Everton 1 Manchester City 3

The trip to Saudi Arabia, or more accurately the title of Club World Cup champions, seems to have done Manchester City the power of good. Pep Guardiola’s team returned from lifting their fifth trophy of 2023 to restart their defence of the Premier League title with an impressive win at Everton.

City trailed at the interval and seemed on course for another punishing domestic assignment before a second-half recovery delivered a hard-fought win courtesy of fine finishes from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, plus a Julián Álvarez penalty.

City have found it harder to conquer Premier League opposition than “the world” of late. The champions had won only once in six league games prior to the visit to Goodison and were again without Erling Haaland, who has been absent since the defeat at Aston Villa on December 6th with a foot injury.

The striker’s return does not appear on the immediate horizon either, judging by Guardiola’s rather downbeat pre-match assessment. “Still he’s not with the team,” the City manager said. “He feels better but he hasn’t made one training session with us. Hopefully in January he can come back with us.”

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How City could have done with Haaland in the first half. His finishing prowess and physical presence were sorely missed by the visitors, who controlled proceedings before they fell behind but lacked the cutting edge to make it count. Everton’s defence was relatively comfortable and saved by Jordan Pickford on the few occasions it was breached.

The Everton goalkeeper made four telling saves with the game goalless. Pickford denied Álvarez at close range when Jack Grealish presented the Argentina striker with the first chance of the contest. James Tarkowski threw himself in the way of Phil Foden’s follow-up.

Matheus Nunes should have edged City ahead when played through on goal by Álvarez but Pickford saved well with his legs. The rebound fell perfectly for Álvarez but he too was thwarted by an outstretched leg. Grealish was also unable to find a way past Pickford when he darted into the Everton area and poked a shot towards the far corner.

Everton had barely tested the City defence by that point. The willing Beto, in for the rested Dominic Calvert-Lewin, was given the often thankless task of pursuing hopeful punts deep into City’s half with precious little back-up.

The home crowd had to entertain themselves with fits of laughter in response to City supporters singing: “You cheating b*****ds, you know what you are”, following Everton’s 10-point deduction for one breach of Premier League financial rules. The hearing into City’s 115 charges remains sitting in an extremely long pipeline.

Goodison suddenly roused itself, however, when Sean Dyche’s team took the lead from their first attempt on goal of the first half. It was a calamity for the usually imperious Rodri. The defensive midfielder was in the process of clearing an Everton attack on the edge of his penalty area when, under pressure from Beto, he slipped in possession and inadvertently released Dwight McNeil to the byline. With the visiting defence caught out, McNeil pulled a simple cross along the face of goal for Jack Harrison, the former City winger, to beat Ederson with a precise, close-range finish.

Harrison went close to doubling Everton’s lead minutes later when an André Gomes corner dropped at his feet via the head of Tarkowski. The on-loan Leeds midfielder swept a shot towards the top corner with the outside of his left foot. A second beckoned but Ederson produced an outstanding save to flick the ball away with his fingertips.

City’s problems mounted when John Stones sustained what appeared to be a serious injury after the defender rolled his ankle while dispossessing Beto with a superb challenge. An eventual offside flag against the Everton striker, raised while Stones was in agony on the ground, underlined the danger of allowing play to continue in an offside situation. The former Everton player’s attempts to continue were in vain and he was sportingly applauded off by both sets of supporters.

Guardiola’s team were being tested on all fronts. And, like any good champion, they dug deep to deliver a convincing response. The second half brought a vast improvement in City’s movement and intensity, along with the reward of a swift equaliser. Bernardo Silva and Nunes served notice of the visitors’ improved threat when combining to prise open Everton’s defence on the right.

Tarkowski cut out the midfielder’s dangerous low cross at the expense of a corner, that City worked from one side of the Everton box to the other and back again. When Silva laid the ball back for Foden he unleashed a stunning 25-yard drive that flew over the outstretched leg of Beto and inside Pickford’s left-hand post. The goalkeeper was soundly beaten by the pace and accuracy of the shot.

Pickford did well to prevent Álvarez’s free-kick finding the top corner but was beaten again when City were awarded a contentious penalty after Nathan Aké's shot struck Amadou Onana’s hand. There was no question Onana’s arm was raised but Everton would argue the midfielder was close to the City defender when he turned to shoot inside the area.

Referee John Brooks initially ignored City’s appeals before pointing to the spot on the advice of his assistant. VAR backed up the decision and Álvarez fired the spot kick down the middle of Pickford’s goal and just under the goalkeeper’s feet.

Silva sealed the victory following a poor clearance by Pickford, who delayed a clearance before striking it against Álvarez and then Jarrad Branthwaite. Silva pounced on the loose ball to curl an excellent finish around the stranded goalkeeper and into the unguarded net. – Guardian

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