Manchester City 3-0 Everton
Manchester City climbed to second in the Premier League after another impressive win on Sunday, this time over Rafa Benitez’s Everton.
The Sky Blues were first class yet again as they controlled the game with ease and could have been more than one up by the break, after Raheem Sterling had opened the scoring. But the pick of the goals was a pile-driver from Rodri which came close to bursting the net! Bernardo Silva made it three-nil late in the game as the Blue Moon rose in the Manchester twilight.
Chelsea’s 3-0 win away at Leicester and Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal on Saturday put the ball in City’s court and they duly responded. At the start of the weekend the Premier League 2021 betting odds pitched Pep Guardiola’s team as odds-on favourites to win the 2021/22 title and there is little doubt that is a justified position.
Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are still top of the table, but on this form City are simply irresistible.
Highlights of the game
City’s 19-year-old striker Cole Palmer made his first Premier League start, and he almost had a perfect introduction when Manchester City sliced open the Everton defence. Joao Cancelo took a shot from the edge of the box and it was deflected into Palmer’s path some eight yards out, but he couldn’t sort his feet out with the goal at his mercy.
Then City’s other young superstar Phil Foden came close with a header after good work from Raheem Sterling down the right flank.
The Sky Blues dominated the first half and had a great chance to go ahead just before the half hour when Palmer put Bernardo Silva through. Jordan Pickford saved the ball and it looped up to Ilkay Gundogan, who directed a header onto the top of the crossbar.
Then, on 33 minutes it seemed like the breakthrough was nigh when Michael Keane hung a leg out, Sterling fell over it and the referee pointed to the spot. Then followed a lengthy VAR delay and eventually Stuart Atwell overturned his own decision.
But the Sky Blues did find a way through before the break. It was a moment of genius from Joao Cancelo as he flicked a brilliant ball, using the outside of his foot, through to Sterling and the England man did the rest volleying sweetly into the corner of Pickford’s net.
Keane was lucky again when he left his leg trailing and this time Gundogan was felled. The referee was unmoved but if he had pointed to the spot the penalty would have stood. But the Toffees’ respite was brief, and when Allan made a weak clearance it fell to Rodri some 25 yards out, and he hit a rocket high into the top left corner.
Palmer had another half-chance to score but he missed his kick and, despite a very promising display, he’ll have to wait for that special moment. And then Sterling missed an absolute sitter when Silva squared for him. He just had to tap the ball in but he stumbled and Pickford pounced.
But Palmer got an assist when his shot deflected into the path of Silva who slotted home the third.
Key statistics
The Sky Blues totally dominated this game from start to finish and the score could easily have been doubled as they hit 16 shots to four and seven to two on target.
Everton are winless in six league games, the longest run without a victory since January 2018.
This was Jordan Pickford’s 300th senior appearance and it was also Raheem Sterling’s 300th Premier League appearance
What’s next?
Of course the big Premier League 2021 news this weekend was the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Manchester United spectacularly failed to navigate a game away to struggling Watford. And now the Red Devils are back in European action with a date with Villarreal on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Sky Blues host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, and here at SBOTOP we’ll be previewing that game and making a tip using the best range of Asian Handicap Betting odds in the market.
Mauricio Pochettino is backed to be Manchester United’s next boss, but in the meantime he is determined to lead the Parisiens to glory in France at Europe. They are already 12 points clear in Ligue 1 and have beaten City in the Champions League as Lionel Messi put on a world-class show. That game promises to be a belter!
Everton just have the Premier League to concentrate on and they have a tricky visit to Brentford next week, before returning to Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby when Liverpool are the visitors.
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