Man City vs Everton LIVE: Result and reaction as City slip again with Pickford saving Haaland penalty
Man City 1-1 Everton: Bernardo Silva gave City the lead but Iliman Ndiaye equalised and Pickford repelled Haaland’s spot-kick to add to City’s woe
Bernardo Silva scored an early goal but struggling Manchester City could only muster a single point in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton to kick off a full slate of Boxing Day games.
City’s slump has seen them win just once in their last 13 matches across all competitions and they provisionally sit sixth in the table with 28 points, 11 below leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand. Everton are 15th, five points above the drop zone.
In the 14th minute, Jeremy Doku played a ball in behind the Toffees’ defence and Silva’s deflected shot found the far corner but Iliman Ndiaye drew Everton level when he took a touch to settle the ball, then unleashed a half-volley into the top right corner.
City looked set to retake the lead when Erling Haaland stepped up to the penalty spot in the second half after Seamus Coleman’s tackle on Savinho but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dived correctly to safe the shot. Haaland headed home the rebound but it was chalked off for offside.
Relive all the action from the Etihad with our live blog below:
Who could City target in January?
There are two fairly notable midfield targets that City could opt to pursue in the winter window – Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes.
The Spaniard, who famously rejected a move to Liverpool over the summer, came on for Rodri in the final of Euro 2024 and helped his side to their eventual 2-1 win, with the side seemingly unaffected despite losing their key player as Zubimendi deputised in an accomplished manner. He would be the cheaper option, with an easily activated release clause too.
Nevertheless, Guimaraes remains an option, with City reportedly interested in the Brazilian in the summer, though it is thought that they were put off by his £100m release clause.
Joshua Kimmich, whose Bayern contract runs out in the summer, could be an interesting option, while City could opt for cheaper, more unexpected options, such as Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller.
Nevertheless, it is important to mention that reports insists that neither Zubimendi or Guimaraes are on City’s radar at the moment.
Man City didn’t want to buy a new midfielder — now they may have to
Bernardo Silva was back at the scene of perhaps his greatest goal for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola was eulogising one of his favourite footballers. Once he could savour a spectacular volley at Villa Park. Now, in defeat, it was his willingness to work and his adaptability that drew the latest of many tributes. “Bernardo is a special player for me; how he put his heart in those positions,” said Guardiola. “He is an incredible example for us, how he behaves. He plays attacking midfielder, holding midfielder, always defensively making an incredible effort.”
It hasn’t been a vintage season for Silva. And yet, unlike in past years, he would get in the City team three times: besides his normal berth on the right wing, he probably represents the best available option in this depleted, invariably defeated group as a No 8 and, as the only candidate with sufficient mobility, as the holding midfielder. If Guardiola could clone the Portuguese, he surely would. In a spell that has shown there are limits to his powers, he has a solitary Silva and he has overworked him. A diminutive figure can seem smaller as he is run into the ground.
Man City didn’t want to buy a new midfielder — now they may have to
The champions have been affected by Rodri’s ACL injury but there is a solution for Man City – if Pep Guardiola is willing to accept it
Match facts
Having lost four consecutive home league games against Everton between February 2008 and December 2010, Man City are now unbeaten in their last 13 against the Toffees at the Etihad (W8 D5).
Everton have won just one of their last 22 Premier League meetings with Manchester City (D5 L16), losing 12 of the last 13 (D1).
Pep Guardiola baffled by Man City form: ‘We are living the parallel’
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are labouring through the opposite of their long winning runs as he rued football’s parallel lives.
City were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa on Saturday to suffer their ninth defeat in a 12-game spell when they have only triumphed once.
And it left manager Guardiola reflecting that it has turned their usual form on its head.
“Always when we win a lot of games and titles I say we are going to lose games,” he said. “When we won 13 or 14 games or 10 games and we lose one or draw one and it is, ‘what happened? Why you draw or lose a game?’ So it is football.
Pep Guardiola baffled by Man City form: ‘We are living the parallel’
MAn City’s collapsing season took another blow on Saturday as Aston Villa beat them 2-1 at Villa Park
Man City v Everton
It’s our senior football correspondent Richard Jolly at the Etihad covering the game for us today before he races across to Liverpool for Arne Slot’s Reds vs Leicester at 8pm. A busy day for Rich - we don’t let him rest, even at Christmas...
Here’s his pre-match thoughts on this one.
Can Manchester City win a game? They always used to. Now they only have one victory in 12 and are up against Sean Dyche’s draw specialists. A City team without the ill Kyle Walker, the injured Jack Grealish and the omitted Ilkay Gundogan at least looks younger, with Jeremy Doku and Savinho potentially offering verve on the wings. Everton are younger, too, with Seamus Coleman, at 36, coming in for 39-year-old Ashley Young.
Head-to-head
These two sides have met 181 times, with City winning 76, Everton winning 60, and 45 ending as draws.
Last season, City were victorious in both meetings, winning 3-1 at Goodison just under a year ago before a straightforward 2-0 home win in February.
Injuries easing and January signings – How Manchester City might stop rot
Manchester City’s miserable run continued at the weekend as they were beaten at Aston Villa.
It was a ninth defeat in 12 games in all competitions and they sit seventh in the Premier League at Christmas, a remarkable slump for the champions of the past four seasons.
Here, the PA news agency looks at what comes next for Pep Guardiola’s side and how they can turn the situation around.
Injuries easing and January signings – How Manchester City might stop rot
City have suffered nine defeats in 12 games in all competitions.
Man City v Everton team news
Not too many surprises in the line-ups today. Rico Lewis gets the start at right-back for Man City, with Bernardo Silva set to play alongside Mateo Kovacic in the middle and Phil Foden continuing in the No 10 role, flanked by Savinho and Jeremy Doku.
At some point, Erling Haaland will explode with a hat-trick or similar - could that be today?
For Everton, Seamus Coleman starts at right-back in place of the suspended Ashley Young in the only change from the side that drew 0-0 with Chelsea.
Man City XI: Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Everton XI: Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Mangala, Gueye, Doucoure; Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, Ndiaye
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