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2 weeks ago
7
Manchester City’s plight is their individual kind of deja vu nightmare. Featuring domination, taking the lead, creating numerous chances, the spurning of these, and the pesky foe taking one of their very few to thwart those in blue.
Add to the above a dismal 53rd-minute Erling Haaland penalty miss – greeted with a mischievous wink by Jordan Pickford following his save – and times are ever more trying for Pep Guardiola’s men.
The bottom line is one win in 13 now for the champions, a collapse so spectacular expect “doing a City” soon to become common coinage. Before Haaland’s despair they were flying. Post-this, they were winded. A blur of ball-hogging who lacked surety whenever advancing to Everton’s goal.
As the contest aged Savinho’s ballooned chip caused Guardiola further dudgeon: yet another spurned chance. His team are a liability each time they have to defend, too. A (reasonable) Guardiola trope is how, as today, the opposition score from very few chances. But this is a function of City’s systematic failure from back-to-front. Missed opportunities become glaring when the rearguard enters a mini-panic on being called to action.
Guardiola has been as dignified as his side has disappointed during the dire run, calm before the media, while exhorting his men to maintain City’s principles and, here, they did – at first.
A Josko Gvardiol forage forced a corner on the left. Phil Foden fashioned a one-two with Jérémy Doku and a cross was headed off Pickford’s right post by the leaping Gvardiol. His manager scrunched features, then saw Savinho’s mazy run end in a shot that dribbled into Pickford’s clutches. This was City in the old, imperious mood, swatting the foe aside with pugnacious pass-and-move play.
Savinho’s slashing runs shredded Everton along the right. Again he jagged into the area but, hesitating, pulled the trigger too late. So Bernardo Silva showed the winger how. On City’s other flank, Doku’s precise ball found the Portuguese’s curving run: the angle was difficult but on shooting the effort ricocheted off Jarrad Branthwaite, beat Pickford and bobbled into the far corner.
The No 20 ran to the jubilant crowd to celebrate. Teammates followed. As did a quick second – nearly. Foden swung a free-kick over that begged Haaland or Nathan Aké to be rammed home but neither did and the playmaker swung his arms in upset.
City taunted the visitor. Foden, this time, slipped Haaland in: he rounded Pickford but could not finish. At this juncture the champions’ slide felt surreal, a fantastical occurrence.
What did the Toffees have? Perhaps, the hope of a breakout goal. One venture forward had Orel Mangala’s curler troubling Stefan Ortega little. What City possessed was a relentless yet blunt goal threat. Haaland and Savinho were profligate, again, their manager was troubled, knowing another strike would soothe.
Now: a goal-of-the-month contender – if Silva had finished. A floating ball towards Foden was collected by Haaland and he fed the No 47. Spying Silva’s inside-left burst, he tapped to him, yet the Portuguese’s swish of the outside of his left boot flew wide.
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Now Everton punched through City’s sieve-like backline for the equaliser. Along the right, Abdoulaye Doucouré crossed, a flailing Manuel Akanji shinned the ball on, and Iliman Ndiaye did what Silva couldn’t: finish with the outer rim of a boot – his right.
Haaland might have grabbed a 14th in the competition, and Foden a second. But ruthlessness, once more, cost them. Everton closed the period with a corner and a quarter-chance for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which was a warning.
Guardiola’s latest medical bulletin had been hardly rosy. “Kyle [Walker] is unwell, Kevin [De Bruyne] and [Ilkay] Gündogan [on the bench] had flu the last few days, Jack [Grealish] is injured,” he said.
Yet here was an XI containing Haaland, Foden, Silva and other A-listers. Of these – Haaland – missed a latest opening after the swap of ends: a header as directionless as the team. Another frontline act – Mateo Kovacic – flashed wide from distance but when Vitalii Mykolenko chopped Savinho down the referee, Simon Hooper, awarded the penalty.
But up trotted Haaland and his insipid attempt was saved low to his right by Pickford, the striker’s follow-up header ruled out correctly for offside. Pre-execution, Everton’s goalkeeper gurned at Haaland. They may have thrown him off but the Norwegian has to do better.
Towards the end, De Bruyne jogged on but his magic is absent too. City padded about in the final third but their toothlessness is still present.
