What Jack Grealish did after Nathan Patterson spat as Man City man ushered down tunnel at full-time
Chris Beesley picks out some moments missed from Everton's 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City
Everton led newly-crowned FIFA Club World Cup winners Manchester City 1-0 at half-time but ultimately lost 3-1 at home to Pep Guardiola’s side who are also English and European champions.
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley looks back at some moments you might have missed from the high-profile clash at Goodison Park.
Jack the lad receives a Patt
In fairness to Jack Grealish, he’s always nice to kids – eagle-eyed spectators at Goodison would have seen that again before this game with his friendly greeting towards the Everton mascot – but the calf-baring, Alice band-wearing winger often has greater issues with some of the adults.
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Grealish’s twinkling toes kept Nathan Patterson busy all night and the pair – who both picked up yellow cards – were involved in a running battle over the 90 minutes with the Blues right-back doing well to produce a disciplined display after going into the book for upending the former Aston Villa man in the 39th minute. However, it was a cheeky gesture from Grealish in the latter stages of the match that sparked a flashpoint after the final whistle.
While the offering of his hand to Patterson while the game was still in progress might have been meant as a peace offering, it came across as patronising in the eyes of many, including the Scotland international himself, who kept his cool not to dispense a ‘Glasgow kiss’ on the Brummie but did give him a wee shove for his troubles and wag an angry finger in his face. At the end of the game, it appeared as though a frustrated Grealish was trying to go over to referee John Brooks and complain about Patterson’s response before the £100million player walked away supervised and scarpered down the tunnel.
Winter storms – you’re gonna Gerrit at Goodison
It wasn’t just stormy between the players as Everton clashed with Manchester City, the wintry elements also played their part for some attending this festive fixture. Just a few minutes after the teams had left the field, a great crash could be heard by those who were still among the concourses of Goodison.
Many wondered what had just happened and whether there had been some kind of explosion but it turned out just to be an almighty rumbling of thunder as Storm Gerritt hit Merseyside. The inclement weather also wreaked havoc with Amazon Prime’s post-match coverage as the rain soaked the pitchside panellists, forcing them to conduct an interview with Pep Guardiola in the lower section of the Main Stand rather than their original touchline position as the heavens opened.
Their trio of experts included former Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who was given a warm hug before kick-off from his Catalan comrade Guardiola; former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen plus Manchester City old boy Gael Clichy. Even though ‘Bobby Brown Shoes’ as he was known during his time as Blues boss was wrapped up with a scarf and gloves – in contrast to Sean Dyche who had earlier strolled out for his pre-game chat with his coat unbuttoned – the party quickly dived under cover.
Firm but fair?
Perhaps that aforementioned thunderclap was actually an aftershock to James Tarkowski’s earlier bone-crunching challenge on Julian Alvarez. But while no quarter is asked or given with the Everton captain’s full-blooded approach to the game, he got to the ball first and it was a fair tackle on the Argentinian who was guilty of demonstrating the tell-tale sign that you’re actually ok by rolling around on the turf afterwards in search of attention.
Unlike Manchester City’s controversial penalty which remains a major bone of contention, this was a fairly clear-cut call for referee John Brooks but there were still a few other decisions he made that left Evertonians scratching their heads. It seems a bit rich for the visitors to suggest that the Blues were somehow trying to ‘rough them up’ when Manuel Akanji upended Amadou Onana in spectacular fashion, an act he was retrospectively booked for when the play next stopped.
At least that was one that Brooks spotted. In the first half there was an incident when the Swiss centre-back was grappling with Beto and he almost ripped the Portuguese striker’s Everton jersey off his back. Just one game on from when Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham Hotspur carried out a similar act on Onana – in the Londoners’ penalty area – again it went unpunished.