Manchester City narrowed the gap on their Premier League title competitors with a hard-fought 3-1 triumph over Everton on Wednesday night.
The Cityzens had to mount a comeback at Goodison Park after Jack Harrison had initially given the lead to the Toffees. Everton, undefeated under Sean Dyche when scoring first this season, faced a formidable challenge against the newly-crowned world champions.
Despite an early lead for Everton, Manchester City showcased a vintage second-half performance on Merseyside, securing all three points with goals from Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, and Bernardo Silva.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
In the initial stages, Manchester City displayed no signs of fatigue from their recent Club World Cup exploits, maintaining remarkable possession that subdued the usually lively Goodison Park. The visitors dominated the opening 20 minutes, with Jordan Pickford making a crucial double save to deny City the lead.
However, Everton gained momentum through set-piece situations, energizing Goodison Park. Mistakes from Rodri and Silva allowed Dwight McNeil to set up Jack Harrison for the opening goal.
City, once imperious, found themselves restrained, and Everton threatened to extend their lead before halftime. The injury to John Stones disrupted City’s rhythm, setting the stage for a potentially frustrating night for Pep Guardiola’s team.
In the second half, Phil Foden’s thunderous strike leveled the score early on, and the world champions increased the pressure. Despite James Tarkowski’s near own-goals, City earned a penalty for handball, which Julian Alvarez converted just after the hour mark.
Despite City’s control, Everton once again sparked optimism among the Goodison faithful. Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin came close to equalizing, but a Jordan Pickford error in possession sealed the victory for the visitors as Bernardo Silva calmly slotted the ball into an empty net late in the game.