Everton 4-0 Manchester City: Toffees trounce City

Everton, who were winless in their last seven meetings against Manchester City, however in great form before this game, winning six of their last eight league games, managed to find the net four times in a clinical display at Goodison Park today.

The afternoon started with a contentious decision from referee Mark Clattenburg to not award City a penalty after Everton’s goalkeeper, Joel, took down Raheem Sterling in the 18-yard box inside 13 minutes of play.

Kevin De Bruyne was finding a great deal of freedom down the left-hand side in between youngster Mason Holgate and Seamus Coleman early on, driving in a couple of low crosses towards both Sterling and Sergio Aguero, causing Everton’s defence considerable problems.

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

The best opportunities inside the first 20 minutes for either side were being created by the Man City talisman, who soon after picked out the on-running David Silva with a great cross field ball leaving him one-on-one against Joel, but he was closed down well by the Everton goalkeeper.

However, City’s dominance began to decline. Against the run of play, a misplaced pass from Gael Clichy went straight to Tom Davies, laying it into Kevin Mirallas’ path, who squared it back to Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian international, with ease, passed the ball into the back of the net past a helpless Claudio Bravo, who perhaps could’ve done better.

After the goal, De Bruyne once again found himself free on the left-hand side and crossed a low ball in towards Aguero, who was inches away from connecting with the ball and surely if he had got a touch, would’ve scored into an empty net.

The second goal came when Yaya Toure gave away possession to Lukaku, whose pass towards Mirallas was cut out by John Stones, but ended up rolling towards Ross Barkley slotting in Mirallas, whose powerful low strike found its way into left-hand side of the net.

In the 64th minute, Everton unveiled new signing Morgan Schneiderlin, replacing Mirallas.

Academy starlet Davies secured his first goal in Everton’s first-team, and The Toffees’ third of the afternoon. Davies picked up the ball well in his own half, driving away from Clichy, ‘heel chopping’ his way between Toure and Clichy, leaving them for dead, before being bumped to the ground by Stones.

The ball found its way to Barkley, passing the ball back to the recovering Davies, who delightfully chipped the ball over Bravo.

Toffees boss Ronald Koeman – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Everton almost got a fourth after Lukaku dragged an effort wide from a tight angle with five minutes of normal time to go, his power and strength causing many problems for Nicolas Otamendi and Stones throughout the match.

Barkley made way for another new signing, Ademola Lookman, in the 90th minute. Lookman, who has recently joined from Charlton Athletic, managed to find the back of the net within four minutes of his debut, after a calamitous error by Stones, who kicked the ball straight against Coleman’s back and rolled into the path of Lookman to score with his first touch in a blue shirt.

City lacked a cutting edge in the final third and Everton were by far the more clinical side, with four shots on target in total, resulting in all of these shots being converted.

Man City’s 71% possession was easily soaked up by Everton, who constantly were catching the visitors out on the break, and deservedly came out as winners.