Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MERSEY HEARTS BROKEN
Barkley 11
Lukaku 65
PL, May 3, 2014
BY
THE visit of Manchester City to Goodison Park nine years ago turned the whole of Merseyside blue for 90 minutes.
Liverpool sat on top of the
Premier League at the time, three points clear of City having played a game more.
Everton had ambitions of their own. They still had a chance of nudging Arsenal out of the final Champions League place – but they had to beat City to keep those dreams alive.
City had won only once in 15 previous visits to Goodison Park – and Manuel Pellegrini’s side fell behind after only 11 minutes in what was a must-win game for them.
Ross Barkley (below) swept in a superb right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area – but the lead lasted only 11 minutes.
Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure teed up Sergio Aguero and the Argentine smashed his fierce right-foot shot between Toffees keeper Tim Howard and his near post.
Aguero was forced off the pitch minutes later with a groin injury but City finished the half on top and just before the break, Howard got his legs in the way when Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko attempted a near-post finish.
Dzeko had better luck with a header just a few seconds later.
James Milner’s cross picked him out on the penalty spot and Dzeko steered his header into the bottom corner, beyond
Howard’s grasp. Then
Aguero 22 Dzeko 43, 48 Att: 39,454
MATT BOZEAT
Nasri collected Fernandinho’s pass and picked out Dzeko on the edge of the box to stab his shot home for 3-1 after 48 minutes.
Everton were back in it after 65 minutes through Romelu Lukaku but they could not find another way past Joe Hart and City went on to be champions for the second time in three years... and Liverpool lost out.