City held to draw by stubborn Everton

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Manchester City F.C.

·26 dicembre 2024

City held to draw by stubborn Everton

Manchester City’s final home match of 2024 ended in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton.

Pep Guardiola’s defending champions had most of the ball but couldn't make the most of it against a resilient and dogged Toffees.

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Our only goal came after 15 minutes when Bernardo Silva swept home from a tight angle.

Iliman Ndiaye then levelled out of the blue for the visitors before the first half was out.

Erling Haaland had the chance to put us back ahead early in the second period but saw his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford.

City pushed until the end but weren’t able to force a winner against Sean Dyche’s side.

It means we won 18 of our 27 home matches in all competitions in 2024, scoring 65 goals.

What happened

As with every final home game of the calendar year, the afternoon began with our annual pre-match ceremony to remember all connected with the club who have passed away over the previous 12 months.

Once play got under way, City went straight on the front foot and could have had the lead inside three minutes when Josko Gvardiol’s towering header clattered into the near post.

Everton set up in a defensive 4-5-1 formation, with City dominating possession and territory.

That pressure told in the 15th minute, when Jeremy Doku cut in from the left and played a pass in behind for Bernardo Silva to flick beyond Jordan Pickford on the slide.

We didn’t hold up there, quickly looking to add a second. That could have come as Erling Haaland rounded Pickford but, with the angle rapidly narrowing, he dug out a shot that was blocked by the covering Jarrad Branthwaite.

Bernardo could and perhaps should have doubled the lead just after the half hour mark after Haaland and Foden linked up on the edge of the box to supply the tireless Portuguese midfielder.

His shot, taken with the outside of his left foot, instead flew just wide of the far post.

Despite City’s dominance, there was obvious frustration from Bernardo and Pep Guardiola on the touchline that the game wasn’t already beyond the visitors.

The need to be clinical was emphasised a few moments later, as a rare Everton foray forward ended with their standout player Iliman Ndiaye arrowing a shot into the top corner from 15 yards out.

City piled on the pressure in the closing stages of the first half, but determined last ditch defending in front of the Everton goal kept the scores level at the break.

We started the second half as we had the first and Savinho was at the heart of our best work.

The Brazilian winger first gave Vitaliy Mykolenko twisted blood before crossing in for Haaland, who couldn’t head on target, before a powerful half volley was stopped.

When a player is in that mood, you give them the ball over and over. With his third run at the Everton defence, the 20-year-old was felled by Mykolenko and had a penalty.

Haaland stepped up but Pickford guessed correctly and when the rebound was crossed in for Haaland to nod home, the Norwegian was stood in an offside position.

Everton rallied and could have taken the lead themselves as the game entered its final quarter when Abdoulaye Doucoure's volley was deflected inches wide of Stefan Ortega Moreno's post.

Hearts were in mouths all around the Etihad again in the 83rd minute when midfielder Orel Mangala stepped on to the ball 20 yards out and hit a low shot that Manuel Akanji deflected wide.

The match ended frantically, with both sides attacking at pace but lacking the finishing touch to take all three points.

Teams

CITY XI: Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Akanji, Ake (Simpson-Pusey 85), Gvardiol, Kovacic (Gundogan 85), Bernardo (C), Savinho, Foden, Doku (De Bruyne 75), Haaland

Subs: Carson, Brits, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, McAtee

EVERTON XI: Pickford, Coleman (c) (Patterson 90), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Mangala, Gana, Doucoure, Ndiaye (Lindstrom 81), Harrison, Calvert-Lewin (Broja 70)

Subs: Virginia, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Chermiti, Armstrong