MAHVELLOUS’ Pep hails quality of free-kick ace Riyad in title-race victory
to respond at Everton. And they did. Riyad Mahrez’s second-half free- kick settled the nerves before Raheem Sterling secured the three points to keep City a manageable five points behind the leaders.
Afterwards, Guardiola said: “It’s always difficult here. But we created from wide areas in the second half and we had the quality of Riyad Mahrez for the goal.
“Everton have fast players, they caused a lot of problems at the back, so I’m delighted because want to go for this league and try to win it again.”
For a period, however, it looked like Guardiola might come unstuck.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had cancelled out a Gabriel Jesus opener and Everton had chances. But City dug in and gained a deserved victory. They set the pace early on and Ilkay Gundogan had a shot well saved by Jordan Pickford before Theo Walcott, a surprise starter for Everton, took a cross from Sterling in the face.
That was the end of Walcott’s involvement, with just six minutes on the clock. lock.
He was taken off on a stretcher, with h
Alex Iwo bi replacing him.
City should soon have been in front, but Gundogan n somehow managed ed to hit the bar from m just four yards.
Then Kevin De Bruyne (above, with Guardiola at the end) fizzed in a superb cross and Jesus couldn’t miss as he
Everton directed eight shots on dipped down to head home. Under Marco Silva, Everton don’t really come from behind. But they got level.
The persistence of Iwobi after a poor clearance from Fernandinho saw the ball spin out to Seamus Coleman and he dinked it over Ederson, with Calvert-Lewin Calver finishing it off o just on the line.
That was risky, as there t was a debate whether he was offside or not, but VAR reviewed it and a the goal stood. Now Goodison was rocking – if only for a fe few moments.
City were shaky at the back, giving Everton increased hope.
Yerry Mina was left to rue a great chance after the break when Lucas Digne’s free-kick target against City, the most any side has managed in a Premier League clash with the Citizens since November 2015, when found him four yards out. It caught him by surprise, though, and Ederson brilliantly tipped his header over.
Sterling was having a poor game by his standards and his miss on the hour summed it up.
Mahrez found his run with a perfectly weighted pass, but the England ace side-footed wide when he had only Pickford to beat.
He would make up for it later. Mina fouled De Bruyne near the area and up stepped Mahrez to superbly curl the ball home.
Calvert- Lewin forced Ederson into a series of saves, first from a one-on-one.
The Everton striker nicked the goal off Coleman earlier on, however, he couldn’t show the same poacher’s instinct when Ederson saved Mina’s header.
But any City fears Everton Southampton also fired in eight.
Gabriel Jesus has scored 22 goals in his last 21 starts for club and country. EVERTON MANCITY 8 ............. Shots on Target ........... 9 3 ............. Shots off Target........... 7 1 ................Blocked Shots ............ 4 5 .....................Corners................... 2 4 ........................Fouls .....................8 2 .....................Offsides .................. 4 2 .................Yellow Cards .............. 2 0 ...................Red Cards ................0 82.0 .... Passing Success %.. 90.6 58 .................Duels Won ............. 40 59.2........ Duel Success %..... 40.8 19 .....................Tackles ..................14 57.9 ......... Tackles Won %...... 50.0 36.9.......... Possession %........ 63.1 49.0 ...... Territorial Adv %..... 51.0 355............. Total Passes ..........619 19 ...............Total Crosses ............14 115 ................ Lost Balls ............. 103 57 ................Recoveries..............65 32.1..........1st Half Poss %. ...... 67.9 42.2....... 2nd Half Poss %......57.8
would snatch a point were dispelled when Sterling smashed home of f the underside of the bar and goalline technology swi ftly confirmed that the ball had crossed the line.
Job done. On to next weekend and another chapter in an already tense title race.
Liverpool home to Leicester and City entertaining Wolves.
Who’s your money on?