Sterling’s return to form and Rodri piledriver add gloss to cruise for City
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Raheem Sterling’s first-half contribution to this most routine of Manchester City victories was just one reason Pep Guardiola wore the smile of a contented man after his side climbed back into second place in the Premier League.
While chaos reigned across Manchester at rivals United, Guardiola watched his team also enjoy goals from Rodri and Bernardo Silva and barely need to shift out of second gear in sweeping aside an injury-hit Everton. There was even the opportunity for the manager to cast an eye towards Wednesday’s crucial Champions League meeting with Paris St-germain by resting players and blood two more impressive youngsters to come off the production line – 19-year-old midfielder James Mcatee experiencing his first taste of league football in the closing minutes after Cole Palmer had started his first league game.
After winning the Old Trafford derby before the international break, this was a display every bit as clinical. It was pointed out to Guardiola that the game marked the anniversary of a defeat at Tottenham that left City languishing in 11th place, but was the spark for a 28-game unbeaten run that transformed their season. The City manager was making no such predictions one year on, but City certainly look a polished side.
“Another long run? I don’t know. We won today and we are going to try to win on Wednesday,” Guardiola said. “The important thing is we have an incredibly tough calendar away and at home. We are not top of the league, but we are not far away.
“Wednesday we have a dream to play this type of game, so let’s speak about the huge amount of quality that they have. But it was a good game before the international break and this was a good game after the international break.”
A good game, too, for Sterling, who was handed a start wide on the right of an attacking three, a position that often appears to be the England international’s best but which he is usually unable to occupy because of City’s depth of talent.
A first-half goal and a penalty that was eventually overruled by Var were just the peak of Sterling’s contributions. “Definitely, he needed it and the first half, he was an important player,” Guardiola said. “He scored a brilliant goal, an exceptional pass from Joao [Cancelo] again, and a beautiful finish.”
That goal was, indeed, the product of a magnificent assist from inform Portuguese full-back Cancelo, who delivered a stunning cross with the outside of his right boot that Sterling met on the volley from 12 yards a minute before the interval.
It was Sterling’s second goal in successive games, following a run that had brought him only one City goal in his previous 17 in league and cup. It also made up for the disappointment of Sterling having first been awarded, then denied, a penalty by referee Stuart Attwell.
Sterling went down fractionally inside the Everton area after defender Michael Keane attempted to tackle him but, having awarded the penalty, Attwell used a lengthy
Var delay and his pitch-side monitor to reassess and change his decision.
Everton had already been badly hurt by the early loss, to an adductor injury, of winger Demarai Gray and only Jordan Pickford – plus the crossbar, which denied an Ilkay Gundogan header – had kept them to within a goal. By the time Rodri struck the second of the game 10 minutes after the restart, a sixth successive game without a win was assured for Rafael Benitez’s team.
Phil Foden’s 55th-minute centre was half cleared by Allan, but the ball only came out as far as the Spanish midfielder, who thumped a firsttime finish into the top corner from 25 yards.
Bernardo completed the victory
five minutes from time, poking the ball in after a shot from Palmer had been blocked.
For Benitez, defeat came at an additional cost, with Gray now joining a long injury list and Richarlison picking up a booking that will mean he is suspended for one game.
“The offensive players could be our threat so to lose Demarai Gray, who was training really well and in form, meant that we had problems with the counter-attack,” the Everton manager said.
“We have to deal with it. We knew injuries would be a problem for us, but hopefully we can bring some players back, get to January with some points and start thinking about solutions.”