Erling Haaland's missed penalty added to Manchester City's woes as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.
The struggling champions managed to avoid a 10th defeat in 13 games across all competitions, but their troubles were far from over as they were held back by a resilient Everton side.
Haaland had the chance to secure a Premier League win for City, but his second-half penalty was saved by England's goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford. Bernardo Silva gave City an early lead, but Iliman Ndiaye equalised before half-time.
This result marks another commendable performance for Sean Dyche's Everton, following draws against Arsenal and Chelsea. However, for City manager Pep Guardiola, the questions persist, with injuries playing a significant role.
With Rodri, Ederson, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker all out of action, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan were left as the senior figures on a youthful bench.
Despite controlling much of the early play, City struggled to find the net, with Josko Gvardiol hitting the post after just three minutes. Savinho showed promise but lacked the final touch needed to score.
The home side's relentless pressure bore fruit in the 14th minute when Silva netted a deflected opener, sliding in to connect with Jeremy Doku’s through-ball. Despite the tight angle, Silva's firm strike ricocheted off Jarrad Branthwaite and looped over Pickford.
Everton remained undeterred and after a few half-chances, Orel Mangala fired just over from an Ndiaye lay-off. Idrissa Gueye also took a long-range shot at Stefan Ortega.
City nearly doubled their lead when Phil Foden set up Silva with a superb pass, but his attempt to curl a spectacular shot into the top corner missed the mark. City's frustration was compounded when Everton equalised from another swift counter-attack in the 36th minute.
Manuel Akanji failed to clear Abdoulaye Doucoure’s cross, leaving Ndiaye unmarked to smash a half-volley into the roof of the net. City appeared rejuvenated after the break, with Savinho denied by Pickford’s feet before Mateo Kovacic drilled wide.
They were then handed a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Vitalii Mykolenko fouled Savinho inside the box. Everton captain Seamus Coleman, making his first start since August, received a yellow card for delaying Haaland as he prepared to take the penalty.
His antics may have paid off as Haaland's weak penalty was saved by Pickford.
Gvardiol was swift to the rebound, heading across goal for Haaland to nod in, but the flag was raised for offside against the Norwegian. City's frustration started to mount as several moves fell apart and the crowd's anxiety levels rose.
Everton nearly caught them off guard when Doucoure volleyed wide and Mangala had a shot deflected across goal. De Bruyne was brought on from the bench in an attempt to invigorate the attack, but it proved fruitless as Everton defended tenaciously.
The visitors could even have clinched victory had Jack Harrison shown more determination in stoppage time.