Rooney racks up his double century
But Guardiola’s ten men snatch a point as Sterling pounces
He’s finished, you know. He doesn’t score, he doesn’t contribute. He should have just packed it in, or gone to China or the United states, for the money. He has nothing left to give to Premier League football.
Yet somehow, here Wayne Rooney is. Two games, two goals, a hugely impressive point this time away to one of the title favourites. This was so close to being the stuff of dreams for Rooney. The winner, back in Manchester, at the home of avowed rivals. Instead, he was denied by an 82nd-minute goal from Raheem sterling.
still, it was better than all but the most diehard evertonian would have expected. This was supposed to be a comfortable win for City, who last dropped points in their opening home game of the season in 2006. However, they had to fight all the way.
Ultimately, intense pressure — even with 10 men, following the harsh dismissal of Kyle Walker (below) — told. Danilo crossed, Mason Holgate’s header fell short, sterling finally beat Jordan Pickford with his shot. Morgan schneiderlin was sent off, rightly, for a foul on sergio Aguero, but it was too late for City to take full advantage. They had to content themselves with jeering Rooney as he was withdrawn during Ronald Koeman’s reorganisation. He’ll take that all night.
And everton hung on for a point. somehow, a team built largely on youth, with eight english starting players — the most the club has sent out this century — held against the might of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Pickford, in goal, was outstanding. so too the defence. every evertonian worked his socks off, and Koeman marshalled them well. City will feel they had the best of the game, the majority of the chances — and they did — but it was impossible not to admire everton’s resilience. It is Chelsea up next — and they will present another genuine test for the champions.
Could the first half have gone worse for City? Hardly. Not just a goal, but a goal from Rooney. Not just a red card, but a red card in the most ludicrous circumstances for Walker. It wasn’t deserved and some would add neither was everton’s lead. Yet there was resilience from Koeman’s side, and the energy of youth.
The goal may have been scored by a man who has been around long enough to have scored 200 Premier League goals, but it was set up by Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin: everton’s future.
Against the run of play, yes, but undeserved, no, given City’s part in their downfall. Leroy sane, deployed as a glorified left wing-back, gave the ball away to Holgate, who fed the lively Calvert-Lewin. His run was excellent, City’s attempt to thwart it less so. A final attempt to cut out the cross was missed, and the ball was fed inside to Rooney.
He’d been quiet so far, but here was a chance to silence some of his most vocal detractors.
He opened his body and put the ball through the legs of new Manchester City goalkeeper ederson. It clipped his heel on the way through, but was going in anyway. A moment of supreme vindication. Rooney wheeled away, hands cupping his ears, drinking in first the silence, then the shock and anger. And there was plenty of it.
Up in the stand, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho looked on, his identity barely protected by a low-fitted baseball cap. Also present was sir Alex Ferguson. The temple of doom, he once called City’s new home. Inside, he must have been loving this.
If he possesses a sense of fair play that overrides personal loyalty, however, he must have felt for City just before half-time.
No complaints about Walker’s booking for a foul on Leighton Baines in the 42nd minute. Yet his dismissal for a perceived elbow on Calvert-Lewin seemed incredibly harsh. The pair appeared to come together around a high ball, no more. It was hard to see a raised arm from Walker. Calvert-Lewin went down, though, and referee Bobby Madley saw foul play. He showed Walker his second yellow to general astonishment.
Guardiola is not one to shore up a 10-man team with overly defensive measures, however, certainly not when chasing the game. At half-time, he brought off
forward Gabriel Jesus, but his replacement was Sterling, taking Walker’s role.
Even Guardiola’s defenders are attackers much of the time, it seems. Two of Pickford’s saves in the first half — and this was a good night for the young man, in front of England manager Gareth Southgate — came from shots by Nicolas Otamendi, a centre-half.
Other avenues to goal adhered to convention. David Silva hit a post, set up by Aguero, while Phil Jagielka was in excellent form, repelling the City striker on many fronts.
He cleared an attempted lob off the line after 26 minutes and, from the next attack, recovered to deny Aguero in even more spectacular fashion.
Kevin De Bruyne set up the move, Aguero moving into the penalty area when, at a vital moment, Jagielka slipped. A goal looked certain now, yet Aguero delayed and delayed and Jagielka somehow moved his prone body into the right position to block. Incredible stuff.
It can be hard to win games with the lofty ambition of the Guardiola way, certainly in the Premier League where resistance is strong.
Anyone who thinks City will get it all their way this season may be in for a rude awakening.