PLAYER RATINGS
KASPER SCHMEICHEL: He had a vital part to play in Daka’s goal, not only with the save to deny Doucoure’s big chance, but with the quickthinking and accuracy he showed in pinging the ball forward to Iheanacho. He will be disappointed that he pushed Richarlison’s header back into a dangerous area for Holgate’s goal, but his defence did not help him out. 6/10
TIMOTHY CASTAGNE: He did not have much involvement in the first half, but tried to make runs in behind to provide a different outlet for City. He was more involved in the second half, getting into crossing positions and putting in a few really good balls, but also showing his commitments with last-ditch blocks and tackles. 6/10
DANIEL AMARTEY: There were moments where he showed brilliant composure to bring the ball down and get City moving forward, but then there were others where he misread the flight of the ball. From a defensive viewpoint, he was steady. 5/10
WESLEY FOFANA: His one-on-one tackling was immense and stopped several dangerous Everton counters. He carried the ball out of defence with confidence too, albeit he found himself at a loss when seeking teammates to pass to. He won plenty of aerial duels as well. 7/10
JONNY EVANS: He struggled with Gordon’s pace, particularly as the game wore on, and he gave a number of fouls away, which is unlike the Northern Ireland international. There were no major errors, but he can play better than this. 5/10
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL: Thrust into a wing-back role, he looked isolated in the first half, and his exceptional work-rate did not translate into effective play on the flank. He looked more comfortable in the middle, but flagged late on and was not as busy as he usually is. 5/10
PAPY MENDY: He provided an option for the defence when they needed one, but as has been the case in the past few games, his usually flawless touch and passing deserted him. He got a yellow card for a cheap foul as well, with his brightest moment being a rare shot on goal, brilliantly saved by Pickford. 4/10
YOURI TIELEMANS: He audibly frustrated the crowd with his performance, with very little forward play coming off for the Belgian, and his control letting him down on more than one occasion as well. But he looked the only player willing to try something more inventive, and that
will see passes fail to hit their mark from time to time. 5/10
AYOZE PEREZ: The better parts of Perez’s game have been seen intermittently over recent weeks, but were totally absent against Everton. He lost a 50-50 with Iwobi in the build-up to Mykolenko’s goal, and then kept losing the ball in tight spaces, his touch letting him down. 4/10
KELECHI IHEANACHO: There were nice touches in congested areas at times, and he looked like he was on the same wavelength as Daka, albeit he didn’t get chance to show it often enough. He didn’t move the ball quickly enough in the second half and his influence waned. 5/10
PATSON DAKA: He looks a different player when he has support behind him and gets to stay on the last shoulder. Even before his goal, he looked a threat with his movement, and then his persistence caused the mix-up that he profited from with a nice finish. In the second half, when pushed wide, he could not make an impact. 6/10
SUBSTITUTES
HARVEY BARNES: Outside the box, he did not have much impact, his crosses and touches poor. But inside the box he was City’s biggest threat of the match, putting a header just wide and denied by a terrific Pickford save. 6/10
JAMIE VARDY: He barely touched the ball after coming on, crowded out by the Everton defenders. He did not have the impact Rodgers would have wanted. 4/10
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN: Like Vardy, he was barely involved, with Everton defending deep enough that there was no space for him to work with. 4/10