All that’s left to do is direct you towards our match report. Jamie Jackson was at the Etihad to see the champions reclaim top spot in the Premier League. Thanks for reading!
Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling scored the goals that put City back on top of the Premier League.
Updated
Sat 15 Dec 2018 09.48 EST
First published on Sat 15 Dec 2018 06.30 EST
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Key events
Dominic Calvert-Lewin talks. “It’s a frustrating result. We know they’re a top team, but we came here to try and win the game. It’s disappointing. We had chances to level it, but didn’t take them, and they’re clinical. Tactically they’re very clever, they played quite a high press, man to man, and you’ve got to be quite precise with your passes. I’m going to claim the goal, but obviously it’s the result that matters. The game’s bound to get physical at times, but me and Fabian shook hands at the end, as you do.”
Bernardo Silva speaks! “It was good to give a response after the Chelsea defeat. We are happy especially as we knew we were playing a very tough team. To get the three points is very good.”
A smiling Gabriel Jesus adds: “My English is not good like Bernardo, but I try! I’m so happy with the game and with the win. This season is more difficult for me because other clubs are stronger. This game was difficult so I am happy. The game was amazing.”
His English sounds pretty good to me.
After that rare defeat last weekend, Manchester City spring back to the top of the Premier League. They’re two points clear of Liverpool, 44 points to 42, though of course Jurgen Klopp’s side can reclaim top spot with victory over Manchester United at Anfield tomorrow. Everton meanwhile remain in seventh, on 24 points, though Bournemouth, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers all have chances to leapfrog them this afternoon.
FULL TIME: Manchester City 3-1 Everton
City go back to the top of the table, Gabriel Jesus their two-goal hero. Everton will rue a few missed chances, so defeat will hurt, though any pain will be offset by the fact Liverpool have been deposed as league leaders.
90 min +3: On the touchline, Foden waits to be sent on. But there’s no break in play, so he puts his coat back on again.
90 min +2: Everton fling a couple of crosses into the City box, but they’re easily dealt with.
90 min +1: There will be four sodden minutes. Walker concedes a corner in the first of them, but Digne wastes it. City are soon off on the counter, Sterling teeing up Jesus from the right wing, but Pickford rushes out to blooter clear.
90 min: De Bruyne whips a cross into the Everton box from the right. Jesus nearly gets to it first, but there’s no hat-trick because Pickford has read the danger well.
88 min: The corner’s looped long. Mina goes down under a non-challenge by Walker. The referee’s not falling for the grift. Ederson helps Mina back to his feet and there’s a bit of a shoving match, City collectively pointing out the error of the Everton man’s ways. The referee arrives on the scene and tells them all to stop being so bloody daft, what with them being grown men and all.
87 min: Lookman steals the ball off Gundogan and sends Richarlison running goalwards. Richarlison opens his body and looks to curl one into the top right. His effort is deflected out for a corner.
86 min: Walcott has been busy since he came on. Again he makes ground down the right and hooks a cross towards Calvert-Lewin, but Otamendi and Laporte crowd the striker out.
85 min: City seem happy to let Everton stroke it around the middle of the park. The visitors go nowhere.
83 min: Walcott zips down the right, getting the better of Delph. He crosses low. Calvert-Lewin, on the right edge of the six-yard box, executes a dainty backflick towards the bottom left. It’s on target, and would be a delightful finish, but there’s no pace on the ball and Ederson claims without drama. Again, though: Everton have had their chances.
81 min: Everton make their final change, Davies coming on for Sigurdsson.
80 min: Jesus is after his hat-trick, though. And he races after Gundogan’s chip down the middle. The wet, greasy turf isn’t his friend, though, and the ball flies through to Pickford. Everton go up the other end, Lookman dribbling neatly from the left and spooning over from distance.
79 min: City knock it around in the game-management fashion.
77 min: Delph flies in on Calvert-Lewin. He’s not quite out of control, but he’s followed through hard and the Everton player isn’t impressed. A tangle, then a frank exchange of views that Claude Juncker and Theresa May would have been proud of. The referee eventually calms it all down, and shows Delph and Calvert-Lewin the yellow card. Calvert-Lewin can be considered a touch unlucky, as he didn’t do a great deal.
75 min: To the strains of Seven Nation Army, Kevin De Bruyne returns from injury. Mahrez makes way.
74 min: Suddenly, Lookman bursts down the left, reaches the byline, and rolls one onto a plate for Walcott, who somehow stabs over the bar from six yards! It’s not as though Everton haven’t had chances.
73 min: Everton stroke the ball around for a bit, but go nowhere in particular.
71 min: And yet ... and yet ... Everton should have hit back immediately. Lookman skittered down the inside-left channel, then rolled a pass across the face of the box for Richarlison. He should at least work Ederson, but opens his body and sidefoots wildly over the bar. That’s his second glorious chance of the match, and he’s ballooned both miles off target.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Everton (Sterling 69)
Jesus flicks a little pass down the inside-left channel. Fernandinho reaches the byline and dinks one into the middle, where Sterling plants a header into the net from close range! That should be the game now, surely.
67 min: Replays of the goal show Calvert-Lewin’s header flicking off Delph’s head. It should still be the striker’s goal, as his effort was on target.
66 min: City were going to make this change before the goal: Sterling comes on for Sane.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Everton (Calvert-Lewin 65)
Walker makes good down the right, and his dangerous low cross is hacked clear by Mina. Sigurdsson races up the other end. The ball breaks to Digne out on the left. Digne loops in a cross and Calvert-Lewin plants a glorious header into the top right! Ederson had no hope! And from nowhere, this is suddenly game on!
64 min: Everton are struggling to get out of their own half. City ping it around in a most casual manner.
62 min: Zouma passes back to Pickford. Jesus very nearly closes the keeper down, but the ball’s hacked clear just in time. City come straight back at Everton, Gundogan one-twoing with Jesus down the inside-right channel and sliding a shot inches wide of the right-hand post.
61 min: Sane jinks in from the left and nearly opens up Everton with a pass down the channel intended for Mahrez. Not quite. But City smell blood, as they serenely work towards yet another home win.
59 min: It is hosing down in the trademark Mancunian style. Peering between the stair-rods, nothing much is happening right now.
57 min: A double change by Everton, as Marco Silva looks to salvage this situation. Bernard and Coleman are replaced by Walcott and Lookman.
55 min: Walker wins a corner down the right off Digne, but nothing comes of it.
54 min: The physios are on. And Laporte’s up and back into the action. He was still holding his jaw, a look of concern and discomfort on his face. But hopefully that’s nothing too serious.
52 min: Laporte goes down in the centre circle. In winning a header, he’s just accidentally clattered into the back of Sigurdsson’s head. And he’s holding his jaw. On the touchline, Pep looks concerned.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Everton (Jesus 50)
Walker dinks one in from the right. Everton half clear. Delph slips a pass down the inside-left for Sane, who clips in a cross. Jesus rises and blasts a header past a helpless Pickford. So simple! So very clinical. City are heading back to the top of the table.
48 min: Keane’s in the action again as he blocks Fernandinho’s long-range blooter. This game has had a nice, open feel from the get-go, and the second half looks like continuing in the same vein.
47 min: Keane shoves Jesus off the pitch and into the hoardings. The crowd aren’t happy about it, but Jesus forgives, and makes no complaint. The referee waves play on.
46 min: Everton have clearly been told to step it up, and are immediately on the front foot. Some space for Digne down the left, but he can’t find a team-mate with City holding their shape well.
Everton get the second half underway. No changes. And it’s still raining. Just before the action heats up again, here’s Paul Griffin’s take on the sky-blue Santa Claus spotted earlier at the Etihad: “I’ve always considered Santa’s enterprise to be slick and impressive, but with a whiff of implausibility and opacity, and ultimately underpinned by a vast array of workers in a distant land bereft of employment or democratic rights. I can’t think why City would chose to associate their brand with an enterprise like this.” He’s here all week, ladies and gentleman, try the mince pies.
Half-time reading:
HALF TIME: Manchester City 1-0 Everton
And that’s that for the first half. It’s been a slightly strange one: City have been in charge, and could have scored a couple more. But Everton are hanging on, and should take heart from having carved out a couple of decent chances themselves. Some big half-time team-talks coming up!
45 min: Gomes dribbles down the middle and has his pocket picked by Mahrez. As the City winger races goalwards, Gomes stands around waving his arms in theatrical frustration. He gets away with not tracking back as Bernardo is eventually caught offside. But that could have been another costly mistake. Gomes moans at the ref awhile, and nearly talks himself into the book.
44 min: Mina scuffs a simple pass straight to Mahrez. The Everton defender is very fortunate that Mahrez does very little with the gift. Everton don’t look comfortable playing out from the back at all.
42 min: Mahrez dances in from the right. No challenges. He eventually draws four royal-blue shirts and dinks one down the channel to release Jesus, who lashes into the net. But the flag goes up, correctly, for offside. Everton breathe again.
40 min: Another great save by Pickford, as he parries a point-black whack by Mahrez. The City winger should have scored, teed up on the penalty spot by Gundogan from the left, but hit it too close to the keeper, who did what he had to do.
39 min: City press Everton back some more. Mahrez very nearly gets the better of Digne down the right, but the full-back just about deals with the danger.
37 min: Sane bursts down the left. Corner. Then another corner, out on the right. Richarlison is bowled over by Fernandinho, and the pressure is lifted.
35 min: Everton, having shot themselves in the foot by playing it out from the back, are now launching it longer out of defence. Calvert-Lewin is working hard to win as many balls as he can. Here he nearly manages to set Coleman away on the right, having brought down a long clearance. Not quite.