Manchester City left it late but signed with a win in their 100th and final visit to Goodison Park this afternoon.
City and Everton looked destined for a frustrating 0-0 draw until Nico O'Reilly pounced late on for back-to-back goals in the Premier League. Mateo Kovacic added a second late on to ensure City stay above Aston Villa and Chelsea going into Tuesday's crunch clash with Villa.
Pep Guardiola recalled Savinho and Bernardo Silva with Stefan Ortega replacing the injured Ederson. Phil Foden was back on the bench, as was Manu Akanji - who made his comeback from injury to see out the win.
Everton hit the post and forced Stefan Ortega into action a few times but were left frustrated when the Blues secured an unlikely win in the closing stages.
Today's game is not broadcast live in the UK, so you can follow below for pre-match build-up, live match updates and post-match reaction from Goodison Park
Key Events
Pep reaction
Pep Guardiola praised his players for stepping up in the second half at Goodison Park to deliver an important victory for Manchester City. Everton stifled the visitors for most of their Premier League game, but two late goals gave the Blues a 'big win'.
City could point to useful substitutions as Mateo Kovacic scored the second goal and Jeremy Doku impressed in his 15 minutes off the pitch. However, the manager was keen to put the emphasis on the levels of the players rather than any tactical or personnel tweaks that made the difference.
Read what the boss had to say here
Gundogan reaction
We had to work hard. This ground is always tough to come and play at with the way they approach the game.
We had to be careful, maybe at the beginning we didn't want to risk it too much. We came out in the second half to preform and we have done that in a brilliant way. Definitely deserved to get the three points.
Match report
Never in doubt. A 5-2 thriller last week raised hopes that Pep Guardiola's side had rediscovered their attacking touch, but this game looked to be heading for a dour draw before two goals in the last 10 minutes saw Pep Guardiola's side pick up a priceless victory.
Goodison Park is always pitched as a difficult place to go, and David Moyes has worked wonders since returning. They have lost just one of their last 12 league matches and recent results include a home draw with Arsenal and an away win at Nottingham Forest - two teams higher than City in the table at kick off.
It's just that, since that shock 4-0 shellacking Guardiola suffered in his first season here, City have always found a way to win. They have generally needed to in order to stay where they want to be in the title race.
For a long time, it looked like this City team simply weren't as fussed without as much on the line. The first hour of the game was played out at a pedestrian pace from both teams who aren't facing any immediate danger in the league.
It hasn't gone unnoticed in the last few months that City have added a new drill to their warm-up, with full-backs and wide players taking turns to tee up their teammates in the middle. It was on show again at Goodison, only for all of those patterns to go out of the window once the match started.
Read our full analysis here
Player ratings
Nico O'Reilly and Mateo Kovacic scored their second goals in as many weeks to give Manchester City all three points at Goodison Park. A turgid game looked to be heading for a dull draw before O'Reilly stole into the box in the final ten minutes and converted a dangerous cross from Matheus Nunes.
Up until that point, it had been a difficult afternoon for everyone inside a quiet Goodison. Both teams had struggled for cohesion but Everton had enjoyed the better chances before O'Reilly and Kovacic struck.
The win gives City a priceless three points that move them above Nottingham Forest for the time being into the top four as they look for a Champions League finish to their season.
Here are the player ratings.
FT - (0-2) - City earn vital win!
City sign off from Goodison Park with a 2-0 win that looked incredibly unlikely only ten minutes ago.
Nico O'Reilly showed the strikers how to do it, before substitute Mateo Kovacic sealed the deal on 90 minutes.
A monumental win that will keep City fifth going into their crunch match with Villa this week. A prime example of result being more important than the performance.
Reaction to follow.
90+1' - (0-2) - Kovacic!!!
Ilkay Gundogna holds the ball up in the box, tees up the arriving Mateo Kovacic who slips as he shoots from 18 yards but finds the bottom corner nonetheless.
City have somehow come out of this with a 2-0 win!
90' - (0-1) - Five minutes added on
Kevin De Bruyne gets a standing ovation from Goodison Park as Manu Akanji returns from injury to replace him.
Akanji interestingly goes to defensive midfield as five minutes are added on.
83' - (0-1) -O'Reilly scores!
Out of nowhere!
Bernardo tees up Nunes to send in a low cross to the near post. O'Reilly attacks it, gets there first, and prods in to send the away end into raptures!
82' - (0-0) - Marmoush has to score!
Omar Marmoush finally gets goalside of his defender - substitute Michael Keane - and goes one-on-one with Pickford from Keane's poor header.
The ball is bouncing but Marmoush can't connect and the goalkeeper just does enough to push it away. Guardiola has his head in his hands.
77' - (0-0) - Double City change
Savinho tests Pickford but it's all been too slow for City.
So Guardiola turns to... Mateo Kovacic... It doesn't speed a change to speed things up like the manager has asked for, Nico Gonzalez going off.
Jeremy Doku is on in fairness - but he replaces Savinho rather than Bernardo Silva on the opposite flank.
71' - (0-0) - 20 minutes to find a goal
Ilkay Gundogan drives a shot goalwards and Pickford kneels down to collect. There are a few more loose balls in midfield from both sides and more space opening up as Everton sense a possible goal - but also no sign of changes yet from the Blues.
Foden has been warming up before being sent back to his seat and Mateo Kovacic is the only man stretching his legs at the moment.
59' - (0-0) - Stop-start not suiting City
Guardiola wants his players to speeed things up by Tarkowski's injury and other little fouls are slowing things down drastically.
Doucoure then twists and turns in slow motion before forcing Ortega into a save.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
The best chances of the game are still falling to Everton because City are unable to create anything of note. Guardiola is applauding long balls from Gvardiol that come to not very much, and there’s little else coming. This is a performance that underlines how Haaland can be missed.
50' - (0-0) - Strong Everton start but then an injury blow
Everton have flown out of the blocks, forcing an alert Stefan Ortega to catch Jarrad Branthwaite's header and then the defence just blocking Abdoulaye Doucoure's effort.
Grealish, Doku, McAtee, Kovacic and Foden are warming up and we'll have a stoppage now as James Tarkowski goes down off the ball and imemdaitely calls for a substitution, holding his hamstring.
Will that offer more space for Omar Marmoush?
HT - (0-0) - Half time ratings
A game that came to life right at the end but no added time tells its own story. Work to do after the break.
Half time ratings from Simon Bajkowski:
- Ortega 5
- Nunes 6
- Dias 6
- Gvardiol 7
- O'Reilly 7
- Gonzalez 6
- Gundogan 5
- De Bruyne 6
- Silva 5
- Savinho 5
- Marmoush 5
43' - (0-0) - Action at both ends
Is that a penalty against Savinho? Jack Harrison controls a floated ball to the back post and it seems to flick Savinho on the hand which is away from his body. Goodison erupts and memories of Rodri's non-penalty a few years ago immediately come to mind.
Simon Hooper says no and City go up the other end, Kevin De Bruyne's shot headed out for a corner by Jake O'Brien who does brilliantly to get down low and block it. Hooper then makes it clear the Savinho effort wasn't a penalty.
City head the resulting corner over at the back post, all of a sudden conjuring up their best two chances of the half.
38' - (0-0) - City need more from Marmoush
Another lull after that chance probably suits City, particularly in silencing the crowd again. City are just struggling to create anything themselves, especially with Marmoush unable to hold the ball up or get any space behind the three big centre-backs.
At the other end, Matheus Nunes is having a good game and does well to stop a dangerous counter attack.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
City will be happy with the way they are combatting Everton attempts to get in behind them, but the momentum is with the home side at the minute because City are offering no threat. They can’t keep the ball as they go up the pitch, meaning it goes straight back to Everton to have another go. The attack has been really poor so far.
31' - (0-0) - Off the post!
Everton with the clearest chance of the game so far. Ruben Dias headed a dangerous cross behind and from the corner there's a scrum in the six yard box. James Tarkowski heads onto the post and City manage to clear.
Finally, some life to this game.
27' - (0-0) - Marmoush struggling to get involved
Guardiola has his hands up in frustration as Omar Marmoush wastes a good opportunity to break simply by being too relaxed - failing to see the chasing midfielder on his back to dispossess him. He had three maroon shirts to pass to instead.
City fans are enjoying themselves in the corner, calling Everton 'cheating b------s' after their dealings with the Premier League over financial rules.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
City have seen lots of the ball but Omar Marmoush has seen absolutely none of it. The Egyptian is finding it hard to get in the game, with Savinho another who is struggling to make an impact. Everton seem happy for City to have the ball deeper on the pitch knowing they can’t progress it.
17' - (0-0) - Nunes shot saved
Matheus Nunes can't find an option to pass to so switches the ball onto his left from 25 yards and drives a shot towards the bottom corner. Surprisingly it doesn't end up in the top tier of the Gwladys Street End and Jordan Pickford has to get down low to push it away for a corner.
Kevin De Bruyne jogs over to take and the home supporters applaud him in a lovely touch. But then the corner is wasted and City must start again.
Savinho is curiously getting booed for that earlier penalty claim, with big cheers when he's wrestled off the ball and concedes a goal kick.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
Nico O’Reilly has had an all-action start, pushing up frequently to help City in midfield. He’s doing very well, but on the few occasions where Everton get through him Josko Gvardiol is there to mop up any danger before it gets worse. He has started very strongly at the back.
14' - (0-0) - Guardiola wants a penalty
Pep Guardiola is furious as he feels Savinho was pulled over at the back post when Kevin De Bruyne swung one in. He would have done well to connect and get it on target, and after a brief stoppage VAR decide not to intervene - prompting Guardiola to complain again to the fourth official.
9' - (0-0) - Cagey game so far
City have had the bulk of the ball as you would imagine, trying to find Omar Marmoush where they can between the defensive pair of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite. Everton are in a back three when they have the ball with Jake O'Brien another big lad at the back.
They are knocking the ball around nicely when the get it trying to keep it moving and spread City from side to side when they can. They're doing to City what City do to so many teams which sets up a good contest.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
City have incorporated an attacking drill into their warm-up in the last few months where players queue up to cross the ball in for runners coming into the box. Silva has had a number of opportunities to deliver a telling ball from a promising position in the first 10 minutes but the accuracy hasn’t been there.
1' - (0-0) - Kick off!
Off we go then. Savinho is on the left and Bernardo right in a diamond formation it seems.
Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski, at Goodison Park:
Everton take the kick-off and within ten seconds Jordan Pickford has booted the ball aerially on Nico O’Reilly’s side. Palace exploited that left flank in the first 25 minutes last week and Everton clearly think they can do the same - although O’Reilly had the last laugh against Palace.
Out come the teams!
The Gwladys Street end is filled with flags, the sirens are sounded, Z Cars is on, and the teams are out. It's a great atmosphere in one of the final fixtures here.
More Pep instructions as warm ups begin
Pep Guardiola is still watching the warm-ups as the players emerge to applause from the away end. He stops Omar Marmoush for a quick tactical chat, moving his body to illustrate the point like he was on the training ground.
Phil Foden has just emerged with fellow substitutes Rico Lewis and James McAtee, initially heading towards the Everton warm-ups before realising which half of the pitch City were actually using!
Guardiola then has a long chat with David Moyes before both separate to watch their respective sides warm up. Is this a new routine for Pep at away games?
Everton team confirmed
Former City winger Jack Harrison - who never made a competitive appearance for the Blues - is in the Everton starting XI.
Everton team:
- Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gana, Garner, Doucoure; Harrison, Ndiaye, Broja.
Pep vs Pickford
Pep Guardiola is out on the pitch before the game in conversation with the Head of Security, just as he did for a long time at Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago. He's given a big hug to an Everton member of ground staff and just had to jog out of the way when Jordan Pickford started to practice his long balls to the flanks.
Pickford held a hand up in apology as one wayward ball sailed a little closer to the City boss than he intended, and the pair joked about it from afar. Guardiola then watched the drill for a few moments - he won't be surprised that Pickford will go long when he can, but he's seen it first hand and has his eyes glued to the goalkeeper as he starts another drill catching volleys in his goal.
Pep goes with trusted block - but will it work
Bernardo Silva comes in for Kovacic but Guardiola is persisting with that block of four central midfielders that he trusts to give City control of the game.
It should give City stability and solidity, but can they create as well?
They proved last week that they could, although Everton may well be a stickier opponent to try and be slick against.
Savinho the sole attacking change
Savinho for McAtee is the one attacking change from that lineup in the 5-2 win over Palace, and it will be interesting to see how he plays.
City had success with players taking up more central positions and drifting out rather than being stationed on the wings. Will Savinho stick out on the flank or be asked to play more inside?
City team confirmed as De Bruyne and Nunes start
Confirmation of the City team news as Kevin De Bruyne starts again with Savinho recalled to the starting line up.
Matheus Nunes comes in and Manu Akanji is back on the bench along with Phil Foden. Bernardo is another back in the starting line up.
Full Man City starting XI:
- Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan, Bernardo, De Bruyne; Savinho, Marmoush.
Substitutes:
- Carson, Kovacic, Grealish, Doku, Akanji, Khusanov, Foden, Lewis, McAtee.
