Man City supporters taunt Everton with X-rated chant before classy Goodison Park gesture

Moments missed from Everton's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Goodison Park

Everton’s game against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City marked the last time the Blues would go into a game at Premier League as underdogs. Despite being held by their hosts until the 84th minute, a 2-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s side was ultimately a nine straight victory at the ground, but here is a look at some of the potential moments missed from the contest.

City fans’ cheeky Everton taunts

A week earlier, supporters of Everton and Nottingham Forest – the two clubs to be hit by points deductions last season for PSR breaches – briefly united at the City Ground to boo the Premier League anthem before kick-off but there was no such solidarity here between Scousers and Mancunians. At Goodison Park, the name Gosling will be forever tied to a famous last-gasp FA Cup triumph over Liverpool but a day on from it being announced that Dan’s namesake Ryan is to star in a new Star Wars film, Manchester City fans showed more brass neck than C-3PO with their cheeky taunts towards their hosts.

The visiting hordes from down the East Lancs Road chanted: “You cheating b******s, you know what you are.” Back on February 8, Guardiola claimed that he expected a verdict to Manchester City’s 115 charges “in one month,” but with the long wait continuing and world football continuing to hold its breath, his club’s supporters in the Bullens Road Stand further mocked their Everton counterparts with a blast of: “One charge, and you f****d it up.”

Evertonians show their class

In contrast to their visitors’ brazen approach, Evertonians, for all the partisanship they display in supporting their own team, once again demonstrated how they are one of the most-knowledgeable and sporting fanbases in football with their tribute to Kevin De Bruyne as he left the Goodison Park turf for the last time. The Belgium international, who turns 34 in June, is one of English football’s modern day greats, but will depart Manchester City this summer.

In a decade at the Etihad Stadium, he has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League while twice being named PFA Players’ Player of the Year by his peers. With his side already 1-0 up, the Manchester City captain was given a standing ovation from the home crowd as he was substituted in the 88th minute.

One leading national newspaper journalist present who happens to be a Manchester City fan himself, described the display from Blues supporters as “a touch of class,” while another such now-retired scribe, who had been invited to the game for a last visit to Goodison, said: “Everton have always been a great club.”

Heroes of 84/85

Talking of class, half a dozen of the class of 1984/85 – Everton’s most-successful season – were paraded on the Goodison Park turf at half-time as part of the club’s ‘84/85 Day.’ This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Blues’ 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, the game that is widely regarded as Goodison’s greatest night and four decades on from that famous victory, some of Howard Kendall’s heroes were given a typically rousing reception.

Paul Bracewell, Alan Harper, Derek Mountfield, Peter Reid, Pat Van Den Hauwe and Trevor Steven, who netted the clinching third goal against the German giants were reunited to take in the applause in what promised to be a warm-up to what will be hugely emotional scenes next month when former Everton players unite on the pitch for Goodison’s final fixture. Meanwhile, another former Blue spotted paying a visit was legendary USA international Landon Donovan who had a brace of loan spells under David Moyes first time around.

Meeting of minds

The days of Moyes taking Everton’s pre-match warm-ups personally might have been consigned to history but the Blues boss who has gone from being the Premier League’s youngest manager at 38 first time around to the division’s elder statesman at 61, still takes to the turf before kick-off to cast a keen eye over proceedings. As both sides carried out their drills, the Scot spotted opposite number Pep Guardiola in a similar position and the pair of them met up to chat for a prolonged period.

The Manchester City gaffer is now the active Premier League manager who Moyes has faced the most (17 times), having gone level with Tony Pulis. The top of his full list reads: Arsene Wenger (34); Sam Allardyce (29); Alex Ferguson (24); Steve Bruce & Mark Hughes (both 22); Harry Redknapp (20); Rafael Benitez (18).

Unfortunately for Moyes, despite defeating Manchester City a dozen times during his first spell as Everton manager, he has only beaten Guardiola once.