Goodison Park was fairly empty three quarters of an hour before the kick-off when Pep Guardiola emerged from the tunnel and took a seat in the away dugout. Wrapped in a heavy grey cardigan he sat with his thoughts and assistant Manuel Estiarte for company, although there was mainly silence at a time the Manchester City manager would usually have been issuing late instruction inside the dressing room. The inference to his players was clear: you know what you have to do. City obliged with a show of character to nudge aside Liverpool at the Premier League summit.
The champions did not send a title warning across Stanley Park with the level of their performance. Guardiola was bellowing much-needed advice from the edge of his technical area moments after the contest began. But they were resolute, assured and patient against an improved Everton team as their experience of such demanding nights told. Liverpool will have noted those title-winning traits.
Stoppage time goals in both halves, from Aymeric Laporte in the 47th minute and Gabriel Jesus in the 97th, were testament to City’s composure and resources, with a substitute of the calibre of Kevin De Bruyne supplying the pass for Sergio Agüero’s replacement to seal victory. Restricting Marco Silva’s side to one shot on target all game also underlined their resolve. Every title contender will drop points during the run-in, the City manager predicted, and given his team’s schedule that seems a likely prospect, but the return of last season’s record breakers to the top of the table makes ominous reading for their rivals.
The accusation that Everton would lay down and die to hinder Liverpool’s title chances was exposed for the insult it always was to Silva’s players. Everton have been struggling to do themselves any favours of late, never mind their local rivals, but the commitment of their players and supporters in search of a much-needed victory was evident. It just wasn’t enough to distract the champions from their focus of reclaiming top spot.
The three-way gallop to the line
Liverpool
9 Feb Bournemouth (h)
24 Feb Man Utd (a)
27 Feb Watford (h)
3 Mar Everton (a)
10 Mar Burnley (h)
17 Mar Fulham (a)
31 Mar Tottenham (h)
6 Apr Southampton (a)
13 Apr Chelsea (h)
20 Apr Cardiff (a)
27 Apr Huddersfield (h)
4 May Newcastle (a)
12 May Wolves (h)
Manchester City
6 Feb Everton (a)
10 Feb Chelsea (h)
27 Feb West Ham (h)
2 Mar Bournemouth (a)
9 Mar Watford (h)
16 Mar Man Utd (a)
30 Mar Fulham (a)
6 Apr Cardiff (h)
13 Apr Crystal Palace (a)
20 Apr Tottenham (h)
27 Apr Burnley (a)
4 May Leicester (h)
12 May Brighton (a)
Tottenham
10 Feb Leicester (h)
23 Feb Burnley (a)
27 Feb Chelsea (a)
2 Mar Arsenal (h)
9 Mar Southampton (a)
17 Mar Crystal Palace (h)
31 Mar Liverpool (a)
6 Apr Brighton (h)
13 Apr Huddersfield (h)
20 Apr Man City (a)
27 Apr West Ham (h)
4 May Bournemouth (a)
12 May Everton (h)
Silva himself was accused in some quarters of aiding City’s challenge by fielding a weakened team. Only those who have not witnessed the recent toils of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman could come to that conclusion. Silva would arguably have made more changes from Saturday’s meek defeat by Wolves if possible and those he did introduce, plus the switch in formation, brought instant improvement. Not enough to break the champions’ control or rhythm, however.
The chasm between the teams extended beyond quality, confidence and single-minded ambition. There is a maturity to City both as a group and as a reflection of their manager’s vision. By contrast, Silva spoke on the eve of the game of having to develop a young core at Everton, a decision taken in conjunction with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, director of football Marcel Brands and chairman Bill Kenwright last summer.
Everton’s latest strategy underlines the exorbitant sums wasted during the three years of Moshiri’s reign but was supported by a 20-year-old local product, Tom Davies, captaining the team against the reigning champions. The Everton line was led by a 21-year-old, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while Jonjoe Kenny, another 21-year-old, replaced Coleman at right-back. The youngest player in City’s starting lineup was 23-year-old Leroy Sane, a full Germany international, and experience shaped the visitors’ latest victory.
Silva’s young trio justified their inclusion but Everton’s energetic start was soon stifled by the visitors’ dominance of possession. It yielded few opportunities to prey on a vulnerable home side for 45 minutes, Laporte steering his first free header wide from a corner and Ilkay Gündogan hitting the bar, but City’s patience never wavered. They may have been too pedestrian and predictable on occasions for Guardiola’s liking but his players stuck faithfully to the game plan, sensing the breakthrough would come.
Everton’s consistently awful defending at set-pieces under Silva offered extra confidence in that respect. It was vindicated when David Silva lined up a free-kick into Jordan Pickford’s penalty area. The home crowd feared the worst. Everton’s static defence proved them right. Laporte had been marked by the much smaller Davies when he headed wide from Gündogan’s corner.
The central defender had no Everton player for company when his second chance arrived, and sent a soaring header beyond Pickford. Jesus added the second from a piercing pass by De Bruyne and, moments later, the City players gathered en masse in front of their travelling support to embrace a significant night. Back where they feel they belong.
