Resistance is futile as Haaland scores twice

Manchester City 2 - 0 Everton

Everton had Amadou Onana back in the squad for this weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium to face reigning champions and treble winners, Manchester City, and held out extremely well for the first 70 minutes before Haaland struck.

Onana was fit enough for a place on the bench, with Patterson and Beto, while Godfrey and Calvert-Lewin are preferred by Sean Dyche to start this one at The Etihad. The manager himself had to watch from the stands, having three yellow cards for protesting just some of the atrocious refereeing decisions Everton have had to stomach this season.

The home side kicked off, with Branthwaite exuberantly jumping on McNeil to try and attain competitive elevation against Haaland.  Everton almost broke up City's first attack until Calvert-Lewin gave them the ball back and they won a corner that Pickford punched clear. 

City soon adopted their mind-numbing triangular passing possession game but Everton broke forward with a great diagonal ball to Mykolenko, and a cross came in, flying high over Calvert-Lewin. But the ball was worked to McNeil who played Godfrey in on Ederson, the collision necessitating some treatment.   

Everton tried the high press on City playing out, which was rather effective in slowing their advance. Branthwaite's unnecessary ball back to Pickford saw his hoof knocked down and Gana drawn into his first poor tackle. But Everton were doing a good job of keeping up the pressure until Calvert-Lewin decided to try a ridiculously feeble lob over Ederson that wasn't even on target. 

After 15 minutes, City had only gotten forward once, their second foray also getting pushed back into their own half again, so they resorted to the ball over the top, which Everton thwarted until they all-too-typically lost the ball from their own advanced throw-in.   

But still City had trouble getting near Everton's penalty area, Godfrey doing well to stop Doku. Foden's attempted shot from 20 yards was well blocked, and Tarkowski was next to tackle Foden superbly. A rare advanced touch for Haaland was immediately stifled but Everton again lost the ball in an advanced position and had to retreat.

Doku finally got past Godfrey but his low cross was cleared by Branthwaite. Dias should have been carded for impeding Calvert-Lewin, who headed McNeil's free-kick harmlessly to Ederson. 

Doku again got past Godfrey but Haaland could only head well over coming in late around the back. Everton continued to play a pretty effective containment game without making much of the rare moments when they had the ball. Young tried to feed Calvert-Lewin forward but the Everton man was too slow for his City marker.

Then City came forward a lot more quickly and won a corner that was well defended and eventually cleared, but they came back through Doku, who was getting a little closer each time. Everton turned over possession and went to counter but Calvert-Lewin played a hopeless sideways ball directly out of play and City went on to have their most threatening attack so far.  

But the Pinks defence held firm once again and even got the ball upfield for McNeil to present a difficult pass through to Calvert-Lewin that was well beyond his skill set to control.

Pickford risked it all to reach a ball for Nunes in the outer corner of his area, and was able to release McNeil down the left who was fully expecting Calvert-Lewin to be on the end of his excellent cross but our No 9 had started his run way too late. 

However, the ball came around to Harrison but he lashed a possible chance way beyond the far angle of Ederson's goal. More very solid albeit mostly defensive play from Everton continued to thwart City, but still without using what little ball they had to any meaningful effect. 

Nunes got free down the right but Branthwaite had the full measure of him. City tried the other side, through Doku and Ake, but Garner cleared it away. Mykolenko was unfortunate to be drawn in to foul Foden on the corner of the Everton area, the free-kick was met by Akanji but beyond the far post and gathered by Pickford.  

Alvarez picked Godfrey's pocket but could not find Akanji as 3 minutes were added before the break. City probed around and eventually, Stones forced a corner off Branthwaite that was worked into a very dangerous chance for Akanji to hit Tarkowski on his upper arm but well tucked in and no penalty.

Everton endured a couple more corners and went in all square with the defensive side of their gameplan very successfully stifling the City superstars.

Everton got forward from McNeil's restart, Calvert-Lewin rolling a weak shot from distance wide of Ederson's goal. City seemed to have a little bit more drive than in the first half, but still could not get past Tarkowski.  Alvarez shot miles wide. 

Doku got past Godfrey again and crossed with power but it was eventually gathered by Pickford, with Godfrey needing some treatment. Gana got a card for his late block on Foden as Godfrey went down again, in trouble with some sickness bug, Coleman on in his place. 

Everton defended the free-kick well as Pep Guardiola brought on Walker and De Bruyne. 

Everton worked the ball forward but Coleman's cross was too close to Dias. At the other end, Branthwaite stalled Alvarez superbly as the hour-mark passed with no goals scored or conceded. 

But City's best attack needed McNeil to sweep the cross behind with Walker lurking. A corner and all hands on deck, Calvert-Lewin heading the second ball clear, with Walker then fouling McNeil.

Doku was given too much space by Coleman, and City won a corner but Garner stopped it reaching Foden. De Bruyne tried a more direct approach to breaking Everton down but it was blocked away. 

Tarkowski was caught by De Bruyne but recovered quickly and City reformed again to stage the next foray, Rori firing high over the bar with McNeil floored by Stones. 

De Bruyne set off on a very speedy run but Garner's tackle at pace was top class. Still they came forward, winning a corner that was defended behind as it seemed to come off Calvert-Lewin.  The next one eventually fell nicely for Haaland who fairly drilled it through the bodies and off Pickford into the Everton net. Resistance is Futile. 

It was down to Everton to play chase the shadows as City now passed it around almost at will, having finally secured the breakthrough they needed as more subs were made with less than 15 minutes left. 

Everton tried to mount something of an attack but the Coleman cross didn't reach Beto. Coleman did better this time to stop Doku getting around him. Onana found Beto who was a mile offside and still couldn't score. 

Branthwaite had to stop Haaland advancing down the wing. Good work by Garner saw him try to set up Beto but Ederson was out very quickly. Everton advanced and tried to create something on the right but eventually lost the ball and City moved it quickly through De Bruyne to Haaland, who brushed Branthwaite aside and drove easily past Pickford for the second killer goal. 

Resistance is indeed futile. But Everton given 10 minutes of added time to turn it around. Beto started it with a great turn and finish… but he had strayed 2 yards offside. At the other end, Foden's shot was easily saved by Pickford.

Garner chased after Grealish and fouled him for a late yellow card. De Bruyne got behind the lines and lobbed Pickford but only onto the roof of the net as the final whistle went.

Manchester City: Ederson, Akanji (57' Walker), Dias, Stones, Ake, Rodri, Foden, Nunes (57' De Bruyne), Alvarez (77' Bernardo Silva), Doku (87' Grealish), Haaland.

Subs not Used: Ortega, Gvardiol, Bobb, Wright, Lewis.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey (55' Coleman), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Young (77' Onana), Gana [Y:54'] (88' Chermiti), Garner [Y:90+7'], McNeil (88' Dobbin), Harrison, Calvert-Lewin (77' Beto).

Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Hunt.

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