Scoring three consecutive goals in the second half, Pep Guardiola and his team won 3-1 at Everton in round 19 of the Premier League.
Returning to the Premier League after winning the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, Man City was pushed out of the top four and saw its opponents rise. Therefore, despite playing on a field where Everton is in high form, victory is almost a must for Guardiola and his team.
Guardiola hugged midfielder Bernardo Silva after the match.
Phil Foden equalised for City after Jack Harrison put Everton in front
Silva took advantage of Pickford’s mistake to score the match-winning goal
Man City goalkeeper Ederson blocked Jack Harrison’s shot.
Erling Haaland continues to be absent due to injury and is not on the registration list. Similar is the case of Kevin De Bruyne, who is expected by Man City fans to return soon when participating in recent training sessions. However, with the trio of Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish supporting striker Julian Alvarez, the away team still possesses a formidable attack.
This was shown through the consecutive shots at the beginning of the first half. Alvarez turned and finished at a tight angle, but was blocked by Jordan Pickford. The Everton goalkeeper continued to play well, blocking two consecutive shots from Matheus Nunes and Alvarez afterward.
The surprise happened in the 29th minute. In a rare move, Everton benefited when Rodri lost the ball in the penalty area. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jack Harrison crossed for Dwight McNeil to cushion the ball against the helplessness of the away team’s defense. Man City believes that Rodri was fouled in this situation. But in reality, the Spanish midfielder handled the error and created opportunities for the opponent.
The opening goal gave Everton a boost of morale and they almost doubled the gap when Harrison had space to step out in the penalty area, but Ederson pushed the ball over the bar.
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By the beginning of the second half, thanks to the brilliance of individuals, Man City’s efforts to press the field yielded results. Receive the ball in front of the penalty area in the right corner. Foden made a left-footed shot into the near corner. Pickford flew as far as he could, but couldn’t touch the ball.
Everton goalkeeper continued to play excellently with a jump to block Alvarez’s free kick. But in the following corner, Amadou Onana let the ball touch his hand in an attempt to prevent Nathan Ake from finishing. The referee pointed to the penalty spot. Despite protests from the home team, this decision was upheld after consulting VAR.
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Due to Haaland’s absence, Alvarez took responsibility for taking the penalty kick. He kicked into the middle of the goal and even though his foot touched the ball, Pickford could not block it. But Everton had to blame themselves, because when they had a clear chance to equalize later, substitute striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin shot wide after a clear pass from Harrison.
In the 86th minute, impatient to bring the ball forward for the home team to attack, Pickford made a mistake. He ran away from the goal but the ball hit Alvarez, allowing Bernardo Silva to shoot into an empty goal. If they had taken advantage of the opportunity better, Man City could have scored another goal in extra time when Foden shot against the post after a wall strike by Alvarez.
However, the 3-1 score was enough to satisfy Guardiola when he entered the field to congratulate the players after the match. Man City ended the match with 72% of ball control, launching 23 shots compared to Everton’s seven, including nine on target.
The victory brought Guardiola and his team back to the top 4 of the Premier League. They are one point ahead of Tottenham and two points behind third-place Aston Villa. Man City will host Sheffield United in round 20, on the evening of December 30.