Everton were the latest victim of the unstoppable Manchester City after losing 3-1 at Goodison Park.

The first half started with Manchester City seeming quite happy to dominate possession despite being the away team which resulted in Joao Cancelo forcing a good save out of Jordan Pickford just a minute in.

When Everton did get the ball on the rare occasion, they had to be brave and positive, playing the ball with purpose and not losing it in dangerous areas. What else was key for Everton was organisation and discipline, making sure to not lose the shape when without the ball for long periods. This determination resulted in a decent ten minute period who chose their moments to counter attack well.

Everton created good situations by getting the occasional tackle or interception but couldn’t hold onto possession in key areas. A concern came in the 17th minute when Yerry Mina was forced off with an injury being replaced by Seamus Coleman. This meant that the Blues lost a huge aerial presence in the game.

City found their breakthrough when Phil Foden lashed home a deflected shot that evaded the outstretched glove of the England keeper. Everton could see the goal as unlucky, but the failure to deal with the initial ball into the box is what allowed Foden to have a chance. The aim from this point on was not to concede another before half time.

Everton found their equaliser not long after with some good build-up play from Coleman who crossed the ball to Lucas Digne. The Frenchman proceeded to hit the post and Richarlison was on hand to knee in the rebound for his ninth goal of the season (in all competitions).

Despite the positive half, the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a real focal point up top was apparent after the Toffees delivered some good balls into the box only for noone to be on the end of them.

City started the second half much like the first and their pressure resulted in Bernardo Silva hitting a sweet strike only to be parried out by Pickford. There were more warning signs when Gabriel Jesus peeled off his marker only to fire over the bar.

Everton continued to stay resilient in their defending, choosing to be patient on when to pick the ball from the opposition. This resilience didn’t last long however, when Riyad Mahrez used his trademark, wand of a left foot to bend the ball into the top left corner.

The Blues will feel hard done by considering they limited the Citizens to minimal opportunities and how it took a wonder strike to take the lead. 

Manchester City wrapped up the game when Bernardo Silva received the ball on the edge of the box, skipped past a challenge and hit a shot that probably should have been saved by Pickford.

Although the scoreline does not reflect it, the Toffees didn’t produce a bad performance and actually showed some grit and determination after the shambolic showing against Fulham. Players like Davies, Doucoure and Godfrey put in a lot of effort and energy against a Man City team that looks destined to win the league, which can be commended by fans.

It took a deflection, wonder strike and an easily savable shot to break the Blues’ defence which is something that Carlo can definitely build on. This paired with the fact that Allan and Calvert-Lewin were both missing can exist as a form of positive.

Despite all this, Everton lost and have now failed to capitalise on the games in hand they had on their closest opposition. The fear for fans is why it took an abysmal game like the one against Fulham to get a reaction out of these players. If the Toffees are to achieve a European spot at the end of the season then this level of fight and respect should be the minimum for every game, whether they are playing Manchester City or Sheffield United.

The Blues next travel to Anfield for the Merseyside derby against a Liverpool team that is severely lacking in confidence. This seems as good a time as any to end the long wait for a derby win.

Player Ratings:

Jordan Pickford – 6

Lucas Digne – 7

Michael Keane – 5

Yerry Mina – 5

Ben Godfrey – 6 

Mason Holgate – 5

Abdoulaye Doucouré – 7

Tom Davies – 7 

Gylfi Sigurdsson – 6 

Richarlison – 7.5 (MOTM)

Alexander Iwobi – 5

Subs:

James Rodriguez – 5 

Seamus Coleman – 7