February 27, (THEWILL) – Following an impassioned show of support for the people of Ukraine by Manchester City and Everton sides prior to their late Saturday fixture, both teams came out firing, pushing high amid noisy fan support.
In the first 45 minutes, City dominated possession and had the greater number of half-chances, but Everton defended magnificently and constantly reminded City of their threat on the counter-attack, despite the fact that clear-cut chances were few for both sides.
On the half-hour mark, Kevin De Bruyne’s long-range shot, which Jordan Pickford comfortably stopped, was the first time either goalkeeper was truly asked to get involved.
Following that, Jonjoe Kenny found himself in the City box, but he was unable to direct his effort inside the posts, instead smashing into the side netting.
Soon later, Richarlison followed suit after a ricochet in the box landed at his feet, but he was forced to rush his attack and could only slam it right into the thankful Ederson Moraes.
The first half finished with Anthony Gordon’s ferocious free-kick, which never got past Ederson but still had the crowd on their feet when it hit the side netting.
The second half started at the same pace as the first. In the first ten minutes, both Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo stung Pickford’s gloves, but none of them asked any serious concerns of the England goalkeeper.
De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva also troubled Everton’s goal, but Pickford made two outstanding stops to keep the pair out.
With Everton’s concentration more on defence than anything else, City began to gain control as the clock ticked down, and that encouraged a wave of pressure for a thrilling last 20 minutes. A goal seemed certain, and it arrived in the 82nd minute.
Foden nipped in and controlled a deflected cross after some bad defending from Michael Keane, and the Englishman slammed in a scruffy goal to give City the lead.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side had to withstand a late VAR check against Rodri, whose handball in the box went unpunished, allowing City to hold on for a tense triumph.
City’s Premier League advantage reverted to six points with the win and Liverpool will be unable to decrease it this week with their EFL Cup final against Chelsea in front of them.
As champions often find a way to win even when they are not at their best, Guardiola’s team gave credence of their credentials admirably. Everton are still in 17th place, a point ahead of Burnley. They have a few games in hand on the teams above them, but they are undeniably in a relegation battle.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
