Everton vs Manchester City: The defending Premier League champions got a late goal from Phil Foden to beat the Toffees 1-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday.
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Manchester City (66 points) remain top of the Premier League table, now six points clear of Liverpool (60) after having played one more game thus far. Liverpool are out of Premier League action this weekend, as they face Chelsea in the League Cup final on Sunday.
Everton (22 points), on the other hand, are down to 17th following Newcastle United’s victory over Brentford on Saturday. Leeds United are a point above them in 16th, with Brentford and Newcastle also a point apart from one another in 15th and 14th, respectively.
Everton vs Manchester City final score, stats, results
Final score: Everton 0, Manchester City 1
Goal scorers: Everton (None), Manchester City (Foden 82')
Shots: Everton 6, Manchester City 13
Shots on target: Everton 2, Manchester City 8
Possession: Everton 33%, Manchester City 67%
3 things we learned - Everton vs Manchester City
1. Cloak of invincibility gone: It’s a strange thing to say of a side that has won 13 of its last 15 games in all competitions (13W-1D-1L), but Everton entered Saturday’s game believing the could take something from the defending champions, and they played like it early on. Manchester City eventually took control and dictated terms to Everton in the second half, but the result remained in serious doubt until the final whistle. Inversely, the confidence that Everton will draw from this game, even in defeat, could prove invaluable in their battle against relegation.
2. Chaos a real equalizer vs Man City: Everton enjoyed a particularly purple patch during the final 15 minutes of the first half, when they turned the tempo and pressure up and turned every touch and tackle into frantic chaos. Manchester City are clearly most comfortable playing a controlled, calculating tempo. Everton found success when they denied Man City time and space on the ball, chased the ball in twos and threes, and got physical with every challenge. For all of their typical brilliance, Manchester City didn’t have an answer for it (in spurts), as they obliged the Toffees by returning even more chaos themselves. With all of that in mind, it’s especially intriguing that Liverpool, Manchester City’s rivals for the Premier League title, reign supreme as the king of chaos. April 10 can’t come quickly enough.
3. Small margins make big breaks: With 85 minutes on the clock, Rodri appeared to commit an incredibly needless handball without a single Everton player in his vicinity. The ball bounced off the ground and, instead of cushioning it with his chest, knocked it down with his left arm. It was clear on video review that it struck Rodri’s arm, but an even lengthier than expected review appeared to reveal a fractional offside by Richarlison in the build-up (EDIT: The PGMOL later confirmed that the penalty was not given due to a question on where the ball struck the arm, and the organization apologized to Everton). Those two inches turned into two vital points in the title race.