close
Everton continued their run of frustrating big opponents as they held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Thursday, December 26.
Heading into the game, Pep Guardiola made three changes from the side that lost to Aston Villa. John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, and Jack Grealish made way for Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku, and Savinho.
The Toffees, on the other hand, were coming off back-to-back draws against Arsenal and Chelsea. Ashley Young received a suspension for picking up his fifth yellow against the Blues and was replaced by the experienced Seamus Coleman.
As expected, Manchester City were the dominant party throughout the contest, controlling the game. However, unlike Everton's previous two opponents, they did manage to find the back of the net. Doku found Bernardo Silva in space and the Portuguese midfielder's deflected attempt nestled in to make it 1-0 after 14 minutes.
The visitors seemed to slightly alter their strategy from then on, putting bodies ahead a little more in search of an equalizer. Their efforts were rewarded when a cross from Abdoulaye Doucoure found its way to Iliman Ndiaye who lashed home brilliantly to level the scores.
Manchester City received a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the second half when Vitaliy Mykolenko pulled Savinho down in the box, handing the hosts a spot-kick. However, Erling Haaland saw his effort saved and was eventually offside when he knocked home a rebound.
The defending champions surged ahead in search of the winner but found it difficult to unlock the Everton defense for the second time. The Toffees themselves had a few good opportunities to take home all three points for themselves but were unable to do so.
The draw means Manchester City now have only one win in their last 13 games. They lie sixth in the table, level with Bournemouth and Aston Villa who both have a game in hand. Here are the player ratings:
Manchester City Player Ratings
Stefan Ortega - 6.5/10
He was named in goal for the second consecutive Premier League game but was rarely troubled. He could not do much about Ndiaye's brilliant finish and ended the game with two saves.
Rico Lewis - 5.5/10
Decent on the ball but Lewis continues to be a question mark defensively. He was caught ball-watching for the Everton equalizer and the visitors enjoyed some good moments down the left.
Manuel Akanji - 6/10
Akanji's poor clearance also played a role in Everton's goal but he was otherwise solid in defense.
Nathan Ake - 7/10
An apparent substitution due to injury cast a shadow on what was a strong performance from the Dutchman. He dealt brilliantly with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, notably putting in a great tackle in one of the Toffees' dangerous chances on the counter.
Josko Gvardiol - 6.5/10
Gvardiol continues to be a useful attacking threat for Manchester City as he hit the post from a header early on but he could not do much else.
Mateo Kovacic - 5.5/10
Kovacic struggled to make his mark on the game and was clearly the second-best against the physical Everton midfield.
Bernardo Silva - 7/10
Starting in a deeper role but eventually moving ahead late in the game, Silva was everywhere and showed great awareness to score the opener. However, he skewed another great chance to add to Manchester City's tally, something that proved costly.
Savinho - 7/10
A lively attacking threat down the right for Manchester City as the youngster put Mykolenko, who was on a yellow, under constant duress. He also won the penalty, finishing with seven successful dribbles, two chances created, and seven shots (three on target).
Phil Foden - 6/10
A mostly quiet night out for the 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Year whose difficult campaign continues. He was largely rendered silent, finding it difficult to get space in a tight midfield.
Jeremy Doku - 6/10
He looked to cause some issues down the left but his decision-making and quality in the final third were lacking.
Erling Haaland - 5/10
Haaland had a few chances in the first half but his biggest miss came after the break, failing to convert a spot-kick. A poor run of form for himself coincides with a dreadful run of results for the side.
Substitutes
Kevin De Bruyne - 6/10
Came on to provide creativity in search of the winner but was largely wasteful with his opportunities on the ball.
Ilkay Gundogan and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey - N/A
The pair came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Ankush Das