GOALDEN SLUMBERS
They score for fun but dozy defending could cost City title
WHEN a team equal a goalscoring record that has endured for 125 years, it seems almost churlish to raise their weaknesses.
For Manchester City though, it is not the goals-for column in question. They have scored 27 already in seven Premier League matches – matching a mark set by Everton in 1894.
These days, those exploits are almost mundane for this team. Yet there is a problem that does nag at them, even in their impressive win on Merseyside.
There is space behind their backline and they have a weakness in the air – issues that dominated Everton’s planning for the game – a vulnerability rarely evident during City’s previous marches to the title.
“We did think they were vulnerable,” said Richarlison. “We had worked on our plans in the week for the way City would play and how we could try to exploit that.”
Everton frequently exploited it, having more shots on target than any team against City since November 2015. On another day they would have got something from the game, but man-of-the-match Ederson made three world-class saves.
Everton manager Marco Silva wanted Richarlison to get into space outside a narrow backline and the Brazilian implemented that plan. He said: “We wanted to take the game to them – that is what Marco Silva asked of us, to put them under pressure. But, unfortunately, Ederson put in a spectacular performance.”
His saves were crucial. One, to deny Yerry Mina’s header, was sensational. Two others came when the game was level after Gabriel Jesus had opened the scoring before Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised.
Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick sneaked past the lethargic dive of Jordan Pickford to give City the points, confirmed by Raheem Sterling’s late third.
City were all over the place at set-pieces and, asked if opponents were targeting his side in the air, City boss Pep Guardiola said: “They can do it. If they have Calvert-Lewin’s skills, Richarlison’s skills, they can do it.There are a few teams using it, we adapt to it.”
EVERTON: (4–2-3-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 8, Keane 7, Mina 7, Digne 6; Schneiderlin 7 (Davies 81), Delph 8; Richarlison 5, Sigurdsson 5, Walcott 5 (Iwobi 7, 6; Kean 74); Calvert-Lewin 6. Goal: Calvert-Lewin 33.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-1–4-1): Ederson 9; Walker 7, Otamendi 6, Fernandinho 6, Zinchenko 6; Rodrigo 7; Mahrez 7, De Bruyne 7 (B Silva, 80) Gundogan 7, Sterling 7 (D Silva 86); Jesus 6 (Aguero 66, 6). Goals: Jesus 24, Mahrez 71, Sterling 84.