To stay in step with Premier League frontrunners Liverpool, Manchester City had to mount a comeback to defeat Everton.
Pep Guardiola’s team is striving for a fourth consecutive season of lifting the trophy and, initially trailing by eight points to the Reds, staged a comeback with three second-half goals, propelling themselves to fourth place in the table.
Facing challenging weather conditions, Everton resisted an early onslaught from City, with Jordan Pickford making crucial saves, including denying Julian Alvarez twice and stretching to thwart Jack Grealish’s attempt.
The hosts seized the lead with their first significant attack, with Jack Harrison slotting in from close range. He could have added a second against his former club, but Ederson’s remarkable save denied him.
However, City, displaying champion-like resilience, bounced back in the second half, with Phil Foden scoring a powerful low finish from outside the area. The tide turned further on 64 minutes when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty after Amadou Onana’s handball in the box.
Bernardo Silva capitalized on Pickford’s miscued clearance, curling the ball into an open net, leaving Everton teetering just one point above the relegation zone.
Welcome win for City
City, last season’s Treble winners, clinched their fifth trophy of an outstanding 2023 with a triumph at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
As they strive to make history by winning the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive season, the reigning champions find themselves trailing behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
Despite the challenges, Guardiola’s squad, known for their winning prowess, poses a growing threat as the season progresses. A year ago, they were eight points behind the top spot on this very day.
In their Merseyside encounter, City faced a resilient Pickford who thwarted their attempts, making it a challenging contest.
However, after the break, they breached Pickford’s goal in a remarkable display of skill. Foden’s finish, a powerful strike from 20 yards out at the near post, was exceptional. Alvarez’s successful spot-kick extended their lead, and Silva’s adept finish capitalized on Pickford’s error.
City’s winning advantage could have been more significant, as Pickford made a brilliant save to tip over Alvarez’s long-range free-kick, and Foden struck the post in injury time.
This win brought relief to the visitors after a series of one victory in their last six games. However, defensive concerns persist as they have been unable to secure a clean sheet in their last eight league matches.
Furthermore, injuries are accumulating, with Guardiola noting that star players Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne will be unavailable until sometime in January, and John Stones had to leave the field with a foot issue against his former club.
Everton looking over their shoulders again
At halftime, Everton manager Sean Dyche appeared to be on the verge of securing his first-ever victory over Guardiola in any competition, but that elusive triumph remains out of reach.
The former Burnley boss’ record against the Spaniard now stands at played 18, won zero, drawn one, lost 17. Across those encounters, Dyche’s teams have conceded 52 goals and scored five, including Harrison’s goal in this match.
Their prime opportunity to score a second came when Harrison’s curled effort with the outside of his foot was excellently saved by Ederson.
Despite initially recovering from their 10-point deduction for financial rule breaches, Everton has now suffered consecutive defeats, and relegation contenders Luton Town are narrowing the gap, trailing the Blues by just one point in the table.
Everton’s struggle persists as they remain winless in their last 22 meetings against reigning champions. Their next challenge is an away fixture against in-form Wolves on Saturday, who had a convincing victory over Brentford earlier on Wednesday.