Three second-half goals see champions Manchester City battle back against Everton

SILVA LINING: Manchester City's Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring their side's third goal. Photo credit: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Everton 1 Manchester City 3

PEP Guardiola saw Manchester City avoid what could have been a disastrous setback in their efforts to repeat last season’s dramatic chase to the Premier League title over the second half of the season.

As they trailed to Jack Harrison’s first half goal, Guardiola’s men were facing the prospect of remaining eight points behind leaders Liverpool only for a spell of characteristic dominance to cut that to five.

But goals from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez left City in control before Bernardo Silva wrapped up the win four minutes from time with a goal that smacked of the City of old.

Jordan Pickford’s clearance was partially blocked by Alvarez and Silva returned it into an open net from the edge of the area with a nonchalant finish that had the travelling supporters baying in delight.

It had taken a moment of instinctive brilliance from Foden, early in the second half, to haul City back into the game and, when Alvarez scored from the penalty spot 10 minutes later, their title hopes were well and truly re-kindled.

There appeared little danger posed by Foden on 52 minutes, as he collected the ball, from a cleared corner, 25 yards out. But, with defenders standing off him, the midfielder spotted Jordan Pickford drifting to his right and simply deposited an inch-perfect finish past the diving keeper.

It was the goal City needed to quieten the home fans and breathe belief into the display which, while dominant in parts, had lacked a killer touch to that point.

When they finally did take the lead, after 63 minutes, there was a slice of luck, with Nathan Ake’s shot striking Amadou Onana’s outstretched arm, though there were few genuine complaints from Everton and only the briefest VAR check.

Alvarez sent his penalty down the middle of Pickford’s goal but the diving keeper could only get a touch on his powerful conversion, It had been slightly against the run of play when Harrison shot Everton into a 29th minute lead but it was no more than Sean Dyche’s team deserved for having weathered a strong start from City.

But, as errors started to creep into the visitors’ play, a terrible one from Rodri led to the opening goal as he stumbled just inside his area, having apparently won the ball and stifled an Everton attack.

Instead, he presented the ball to Dwight McNeil who darted to the by-line and crossed for an unmarked Harrison to finish clinically from six yards.

It was a goal that invigorated a home crowd still smarting from the 10-point penalty handed to them recently for financial irregularities.

Indeed, the pre-match Premier League anthem heralded the unusual sound of both sets of supporters - Everton and City - booing in protest against their clubs’ current issues with the powers that be.

But once the action started, it was the team who have yet to face league censure for their 115 alleged financial irregularities who took firm control.

Jack Grealish set up Alvarez and Foden, who were blocked by solid defending, Kyle Walker’s 25-yard show was deflected behind and Foden did well to create space but hurried his shot wide.

And on 14 minutes, the new World Club Cup champions should have been in front after a magnificent pass from Grealish played in Alvarez.

He moved the ball selflessly to Matheus Nunes who struck his effort straight at Pickford, with Alvarez’s follow-up was also touched behind by the England keeper.

But, after a run that has brought just one win from their last six league games, it was just the sort of response Guardiola would have wanted after a week in Saudi Arabia.

In their absence, City’s title rivals have also dropped points, leaving Guardiola loyalists pointing to the state of the table 12 months ago, when City trailed Arsenal by five points but won 17 of their next 20 league games to clinch the crown.

Indeed, for all their relative problems, City came to Goodison with just one defeat in their previous 15 league and cup games, hardly a crisis of epic proportions.

But City’s defensive shortcomings were all too apparent in the opening goal, and it took a superb flying save from Ederson to deny Harrison a second as he latched onto a McNeil corner and looked destined to double the lead.

And Guardiola’s problems mounted, possibly for weeks to come, when former Evertonian John Stones, starting just his fifth league game of the season, was forced to limp off before the interval with another injury in a season that has been so far ravaged by them.

The second half saw the treble winners showing more composure, and more of their typical attacking excellence. After his equaliser, Foden almost added a second soon after, with his effort rolling agonisingly along the goalline while Pickford saved well from a Bernardo Silva free-kick.

Everton (4–2-3-1): Pickford 5; Patterson 6, Tarkowski 6, Branthwaite 7, Mykolenko 5; Gomes 5 (Keane 65, 5), Onana 6; Harrison 7 (Danjuma 80), Garner 6, McNeil 7; Beto 6 (Calvert-Lewin 65, 5). 

Substitutes (not used): Virginia, Godfrey, Coleman, Chermiti, Hunt, Dobbin.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 6; Walker 7, Stones 6 (Gvardiol 42, 6), Akanji 5, Ake 6; Nunes 5 (Kovacic 55, 5), Rodri 5; Silva 8, Foden 9, Grealish 7; Alvarez 7.

Substitutes (not used): Oretga, Phillips, Gomez, Bobb, Susoho, Lewis, Hamilton.

Referee: J Brooks 7.