Everton 0-2 Man City: O’Reilly and Kovačić find the net

Manchester City boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season as they scored two late goals to earn a 2-0 win over Everton.

Match Report

City had to wait until the 84th minute to break the deadlock on their final trip to Goodison Park, where youngster Nico O’Reilly put them in front with a close-range finish after Everton’s defence had frustrated Pep Guardiola’s side for much of the match.

Guardiola would have been hoping that his side’s 5-2 win over Crystal Palace last time out marked a turning point in the run-in. Instead, City endured a difficult time, struggling to find rhythm or clear chances for much of the match.

But it was O’Reilly – fresh off his first senior goal against Palace – who delivered, meeting Matheus Nunes’ low cross with a composed first-time finish to open the scoring.

Once one goal arrived, another followed as Mateo Kovacic sealed the points with an excellent finish on the slide in stoppage time.

Everton had hit the post in the best chance of a cagey first half through a glanced header by James Tarkowski, who subsequently went off injured, while Kevin De Bruyne saw his curling strike superbly blocked away by Jake O’Brien.

Jarrad Branthwaite also saw a close-range header saved by Stefan Ortega early in the second half, while Savinho tested Jordan Pickford with a handful of driven shots as City ended the night with 2.09 expected goals (xG), a fair step up from Everton’s 0.93 xG.

City move into fourth place, just one point behind Newcastle United prior to the Magpies’ clash with Aston Villa, while Everton remain in 13th place, having lost a Premier League game at home for the first time since January.

Data debrief: Tarkowski’s immense starting run at risk?

James Tarkowski is on a run of 111 consecutive Premier League starts. The only outfield players with more successive starts in the competition’s history are Frank Lampard (112 consecutive starts ending in December 2005) and Wayne Bridge (113 consecutive starts ending in January 2003).

It is a shame that the veteran defender was forced off with an injury, as it looks like that run could now come to an end. And after he went off, Everton struggled to keep City at bay. The visitors finished with 12 shots, and 2.09 expected goals, but five of their seven shots on target came in the second half.

O'Reilly made the difference, and he is certainly a bright spark.

At 20 years and 29 days, he became the fourth-youngest player to score in back-to-back Premier League appearances for City after Kelechi Iheanacho (19 years and 211d), Gabriel Jesus (19 years 308 days), and Phil Foden (20 years and 25 days).

O'Reilly has had a hand in six goals across his last six appearances for City in all competitions (four goals, two assists).

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

9' Great long pass from Mykolenko

13' Claims for a ManCity penalty from Savinho who was trying to meet an KDB cross

15' Pickford is forced into a decent save from a Matheus Nunes shot from distance

30' Highlight from Everton vs Man City

31' James Tarkowski hits the post

39' Throw-in service violation from Nunez

44' De Bruyne forces a sensational diving header block from O'Brien

47' What a  save by Ortega

52' Tarkowski has been forced off through injury for Everton, replaced by Keane

61' Ortega with a save to deny Doucouré

71' Gundogan's shot too straight

72' Ndiaye's shot wide out

73' Jordan Pickford denies Savinho

83' Marmoush meets an awkward bouncing ball after a misjudgement from Michael Keane

84' Nico O'Reilly scores! Everton 0-1 Man City

92' Kovacic doubles the lead !!! Everton 0-2 Man City

Line-ups

Everton XI: Gueye, Pickford, Doucoure, Tarkowski, Jack Harrison, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Garner, Iliman Ndiaye, Armando Broja, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jake O'Brien

Subs: Young, Coleman, Keane, João Virgínia, McNeil, Beto, Nathan Patterson, Carlos Alcaraz, Tim Iroegbunam

Man City XI: Gundogan, De Bruyne, Ortega, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Omar Marmoush, Matheus Nunes, Nico González, Gvardiol, Savinho, Nico O'Reilly

Subs: Carson, Kovacic, Grealish, Akanji, Foden, Doku, McAtee, Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov