Everton 3 – 3 Manchester City
Everton welcomed title-chasing Manchester City to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, with thoughts of European football for the Toffees hanging in the balance.
Everton have dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League table thanks to two back-to-back avoidable defeats. Can David Moyes do anything to prevent another damaging loss to Pep Guardiola’s stars?
Match Summary
After a first half City dominated but only scored right at the end, the second half was an entirely different affair. Sub Thierno Barry redeemed himself with two goals and Jake O’Brien scoring from a great corner. Haaland got one back but it looked like Everton would incredibly take all the points before they gave up yet another goal right at the death.
Team News
Beto returns to lead the line on his own after suffering concussion in the defeat to Liverpool. With Idrissa Gana Gueye mysteriously missing, Tim Iroegbunam partners James Garner in defensive midfield. Merlin Röhl is preferred to Dwight McNeil, presumably on the right – the young German making his first start since the 1-0 win at Aston Villa in January.
First Half
The up and under from Dewsbury-Hall went through to Donnarumma and Everton were soon chasing the ball as it zipped without interference for the next 2 minutes until Nunez slipped and Ndiaye was in, but failed to make anything of it.
Rohl was called for chasing down Doku a little too keenly. Signs of the way calls would be going tonight? The free-kick was worked around until Mykolenko. Dewsbury-Hall tried to break but Cherki went ot ground as if shot, and another free-kick for City.
Dewsbury-Hall broke up the City play but Garner soon had 4 players shepherding him away from goal. City forced a turnover, advanced, and won the first corner, played short and evenmtallly half-cleared by O’Brien. Cherki has the first shot, over Pickford’s bar.
Another really soft call as O’Reilly went down under no real contact. Fortunately, City went for a round of pass the parcel until Doku won another corner off Rohl. City kept up the pressure with the workaround, Everton could only ball-watch as it zipped around until another City corner.
Beto headed it out at the near post, the next delivery again only half-cleared. But Everton were incredibly given a free kick when Haaland ran into Garner. But the Blue shirts only had possession for a few seconds.
O’Reilly almost got behind O’Brien but his cross didn’t find Haaland. O’Reilly did better and got to the byline but Garner was in the right place to get it back to Pickford.
Everton were instantly pinned back again and O’Reilly again was the principal irritant. Then from the other side, Cherki’s shot straight at Pickford before Semenyo drove through and fired across goal, no-one converting.
O’Brien dared to stand in front of Doku: another City free-kick. The pattern of the game was by now well established. Doku got past O’Brien but the cross to Semenyo was wellied over the bar.
After more than 20 minutes, it looked for a moment like Everton might get forward… but nothing came of it and the ball was played back by the Blues. Beto was called for nothing, supposedly a push in tussleing for a Pickford hoof.
But a mistake saw Ndiaye pay in Dewsbury-Hall who shot early, winning a rare corner off Khusanov. Keane got to but had poor contact on the header. Everton sustained their attack through a long throw-in but could not keep the ball high up in City’s half.
City returned to siege mode until a terrible effort from Khusanov. But City resumed until Khusanov collapsed, claiming Beto had trodden on his foot. Everon tried to build down the left through Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye but it went nowhere.
Rohl somehow got away down the left, zooming away from Guehi and crosing to Beto, Donnarumma getting a crucial fingertip to push it behind Beto, who spun back and saw his shot blocked behind. A brilliant chance just didn’t quite come off. Khusanov chesting up to Tarkowski after the Everton corner went dead.
After that lull, City resumed their all-out attack, winning a corner that Pickford strongly punched away. Rohl did brilliantly to win the ball back but Beto expected the ball to run for him and it didn’t. Doku again got behind the line and cut it back for Cherki who fired high over the Everton goal.
More zippy pass and move from City was stopped by Garner, and Everton got forward again but just lost the ball. This time, City attacked again and looked really dangerous and sure enough, Doku eventually curved a zinger into the top corner. Unstoppable. David Moyes will be immensely proud of those 42 goalless minutes.
Keane came across to stop Doku, going over the ball and receiving a yellow card for his effort. Doku gets treatment and unwillingly left the field before the free-kick that was eventually gathered by Pickford.
So ended a pretty predictable first half, Everton’s dogged defending ultimately defeated by a moment of sheer skill and flair from a young 23-year-old forward.
Second Half
From the restart, Man City won a corner and O’Reilly almost had a chance to shoot. Dewsbury-Hall did really well to push forward and play in Beto but he had to shootr instantly and didn’t, Guéhi in quickly to stymy him. Beto to get to a ball over the top but Guéhi again had the measure of him. Beto then clumsily clipped Guéhi and got a daft yellow card.
Seymenyo went down heavily and collided with Mykolenlo, needing treatment. Everton had some rare forward possession, Dewsbury-Hall rather snatching at a shot from distance, unale ot keep it down.
Tarkowski was next to be booked, grabbing at Haaland as he was about to run free. Doku overhit his cross from the free-kick. Another spell of Everton possession was pretty easily stalled.
Dewsbury-Hall got forward but was fouled by Khusanov but ignored by the referee, as City surged forward.
A good break after Garner outmuscled Cherki saw a foul on Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye skipping forward and shooting well, forcing a good save by Donnarumma and winning a corner. Garner’s delivery was good but Donnarumma was able to punch clear.
Moyes swapped out Beto for Barry, probably sensible given the yellow card.
Ndiaye pocked up a bouncing ball and was one-on-one with Donnarumma but criminally failed to lift the ball over him, and he blocked the shot with his body, a massive chance squandered.
Dewsbury-Hall saw Donnarumma off his line and tried to lob him from the centre circle but was off-target. But Everton had ben doing a liyyl better with the ball, Theirno Barry getting a gift from Guéhi that he buried under Donnarumma. Initially ruled out for offside, the ball had been played to him by Guéhi, and Michael Oliver changed his decision to Goal for Everton!
This completely turned the one-way game on its head and gave Everton everything to play for, with the crowd suitably enthused. Ndiaye stole the ball off Khusanov brilliantly and drove forward, Guéhi across crucially to deflect it behind for a corner.
And a simply fantastic delivery from Garner to Jake O’Brien at the near post was buried behind Donnarumma, who was livid and protested in futility at the referee. But Everton lead 2-1!
Everton defended a City attack and countered well, Ndiaye dancing through again, surely he would score this time! But no, he again drove his shot at the giant in pink. Should have been 3-1! Shockingly poor really knowing what he is capable of.
City were stung by this. Foden on for Semenyo was fouled just outside the Everton area, Cherki lashing it wide of the angle.
A fantastic Iroegbunam tackle really got the crowd going even more as Everton looked to hold on to their lead for the final 10 minutes. Rohl had been playing superly and he brilliantly robbed Guehi, galloping forward from Kovacic and shooting off the heel of a defender, the ball spnning off to Barry who incredibly,was onside and had the easiest finish to Everton 3-1 up!
At the other end, a great ball from Kovacic through to Haaland was meat and drink for the big man, Pickford with no chance. 3-2.
Everton won another corner which saw Fernadez xchae Rohl around and manhandle him to the ground off the ball. Why no penalty???
Foden looked to fire into the top corner but drove his shot well off target. City kept pushing forward until Dewsbury-Hall was fouled, with 6 minutes added on. Rohl and Iroegbunam forced a turnover but Barry could not carry it forward.
The one way traffic of the first half was a distant memory as Everton to keep their slender lead intact, Mykolenko having to produce an excellent tackle on Marmoush.
It was nervy stuff with Everton countering when they could but Ndiaye again unable to deliver. Iroegbunam did brilliantly to block a Doku cross for a corner, injured in the process.
Armstorng came on for the corner with Donnarumma up and Everton looked to clear but had all the players back so Ndiaye had no chance of taking advantage.
City won another corner, and this time another brilliant strike from Doku beat Pickford to equalise with less than a minute, denying City the win they so desperately wanted.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien [Y:86′], Tarkowski [Y:53′], Keane [Y:45′], Mykolenko, Garner, Iroegbunam (90+6′ Armstrong), Rohl (90+2′ Patterson), Dewsbury-Hall (90+2′ Alcaraz), Ndiaye, Beto [Y:48′] (64′ Barry).
Subs not Used: Travers, McNeil, George, Dibling, Coleman.
Manchester City: Donnarumma [Y:73′], Matheus Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, O’Reilly, González (75′ Kovacic), Silva (87′ Marmoush), Semenyo (74′ Foden), Cherki, Doku, Haaland.
Subs not Used: Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Aké, Aït-Nouri, Savinho.
Attendance: ???