Everton destroy lacklustre City
A season that started promisingly is starting to unravel. PEP’S MEN TOTALLY OUTPLAYED
Pep Guardiola suffered the heaviest league defeat of his managerial career as Manchester City slumped to a 4-0 loss against Everton yesterday. Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas put Everton in control at Goodison Park before teenager Tom Davies scored his first goal for the club and debutant Ademola Lookman completed the rout after coming on as an 89th minute substitute.
The defeat was City’s fourth in their last eight league games.
As has been the case so often this season, Lukaku’s opener in the 34th minute showed up frailties in City’s defence and goalkeeping as Davies intercepted a Gael Clichy pass just inside the visitors’ half and found Mirallas sprinting into the City area.
With Yaya Toure slow to respond to the runner, and Nicolas Otamendi playing Everton onside from a deep position, Mirallas was able to pick out Lukaku, who finished with a clinical left-foot strike.
Although the game had been finally balanced, City had enjoyed the better chances, even before the opening goal.
After 11 minutes, Sterling failed with a strong penalty appeal after he went down under slight contact from goalkeeper Joel Robles as he appeared poised to score from another perfect cross from the excellent Kevin de Bruyne.
In first half stoppage-time, City almost snatched what would have been a deserved equaliser after Clichy’s left-wing cross found Bacary Sagna whose athletic leap allowed him to power a goalbound header which was nodded off the line by Davies.
Better was to come for Everton a minute into the second half when Lukaku sparked the move that led to the second goal, his through ball being touched by City defender John Stones into the path of Ross Barkley.
The England midfielder produced a superb pass for Mirallas whose equally excellent shot from 15 yards flew beyond the dive of Bravo.
Any lingering hope of a comeback evaporated in the 78th minute when Davies capped a brilliant midfield display with a deserved goal, his first for the club.
Davies carried the ball half the length of the field, exchanged passes with Barkley and then lifted the ball over Bravo, with Lukaku ensuring the ball crept over the line.
Lookman, signed from Charlton this month, added a fourth in stoppage-time.