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 Updated 
Sun 21 Nov 2021 11.58 ESTFirst published on Sun 21 Nov 2021 08.00 EST
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring.
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

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Full-time: Manchester City 3-0 Everton

And that’s that. As expected, Everton were simply not in the contest once City went ahead, and in the end the three-goal margin was just about reflective. City was a class apart today – epitomised by the first two goals, both resplendent in their own way. City climb to second, a point above Liverpool. Everton are now winless in six – with a Merseyside derby looming.

93 mins: McAtee escapes down the left and rifles a rising shot into the side netting. He looks a confident boy.

91 mins: Rodri, today’s man of the match, choreographs a spell of keep-ball between City’s midfield and defence. Everton give halfhearted chase; they want the final whistle.

88 mins: McAtee is involved immediately, backheeling to Silva then showing good feet in the box while looking to get a shot away, but in the end there are too many Everton bodies in his way.

Goal! Manchester City 3-0 Everton (Silva 86)

Gundogan carries the ball forward, as far as the edge of the box, then lays the ball to Palmer who looks to cut inside and go for goal. His shot is half-blocked but the ball runs to Silva, who tucks a simple finish under Pickford from close range.

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva scores their third goal. Photograph: Craig Brough/Reuters
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77 mins: City respond by zooming down the other end, Mahrez squaring to Sterling, who looks set to tap home at the back post, but Pickford scrambles across his goal to smother.

76 mins: Change for City: Ake on for Laporte. Then half a chance for Everton, who work the ball down the right through Townsend, Rondon and Iwobi, and all of a sudden Coleman is scampering into the box with the ball at his feet. He tries to lift the ball over Ederson but in the end he is too close to the keeper, who gathers.

74 mins: Everton are finally out of their shell. Townsend feeds Gordon, who can’t make it past his marker on the left. City break and Palmer goes for the 30-yarder, but he is evidently no Rodri and the shot is wild.

70 mins: Mahrez rattled a free-kick straight at Pickford, who holds well and send Everton down the other end, where Iwobi dinks in a cross from the right. The ball floats invitingly to Richarlison, who winds up the acrobatic volley … and shins the ball away from goal.

62 mins: Mahrez is involved again, this time pleading for a penalty after he’s brought down by Digne. But Attwell is not convinced by his theatrics – the left-back got the ball. Rondon comes on for Delph.

60 mins: A chance for Mahrez, who has come on for Foden. Palmer drifts forward, spins on a sixpence and picks out Cancelo - in the centre-forward position - who rolls the ball to the winger on the right, but his first-time shot is scuffed into the ground.

58 mins: And that, you’d have to think, is that. Whether by accident or design, Everton are still playing with 11 men behind the ball, and so City are still monopolising possession.

Goal! Man City 2-0 Everton (Rodri, 55)

If the first goal was a work of artistic subtlety, this is the complete opposite – and every bit as good. City attack down the left via Foden, whose cross is flicked clear by Allan. And onto the loose ball steam Rodri, who absolutely wallops the ball into the top corner from 25 yards.

Rodri (C) of Manchester City scores to make it 2-0. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA
Rodri celebrates in front of the fans. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
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Matthew Dony writes: “On outside-of-the-boot stuff, I am torn. On the one hand, it is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing way to strike a football. It takes skill, confidence, and a certain amount of swagger. On the other hand, it’s often done because a player won’t use their ‘wrong’ foot. It can be a result of professional footballers having a massive gap in their technique. If you’re paid that kind of money, and your whole job is to be good at football, there’s really no excuse not to be two-footed.”

True – and apparently while at Real Madrid, Benitez irked Luka Modric by telling him to use his left foot instead of the outside of his right. But as far as we spectators are concerned, there’s no debate is there? It’s a joy.

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50 mins: Another Everton air shot, this time from Allan, who gives away a corner in the process. Pickford punches clear and as the ball is launched back into the box, Gundogan wants a penalty for being bundled to the ground by Iwobi. Didn’t look a foul to me.

47 mins: Townsend sends the ball into the box but, after an air shot from Delph, the danger is snuffed out by City.

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46 mins: We’re back underway, and Everton already look more ambitious, Iwobi burrowing forward and then Coleman winning a free-kick on the overlap.

Richard Hirst gives his thoughts on the vacancy at Old Trafford: “With Man Utd having put Solksjaer out of his misery and Cardiff having dispensed with the services of Mick McCarthy, the answer to Utd’s managerial problems is obvious: Solksjaer goes back to Cardiff where he enjoyed such success and McCarthy goes to Man Utd. In order to meet the apparent requirement of having a ‘Utd legend’ involved, Roy Keane could come in as his assistant. Pre-season training in Saipan?” I’d tune in for that.

Half-time: Man City 1-0 Everton

Townsend takes and goes for goal from a tight angle, but the shot is straight down Ederson’s throat. And that’s that for now.

47 mins: It was a good finish from Sterling, actually, who opened up his body to slot home on the half-volley. But it was the pass that made it – Quaresmaesque. Townsend wins a free-kick on the right, Laporte booked for the foul.

Mary Waltz wastes no time writing in: “Noble effort by my boys but this is a mismatch and my hope is the thrashing won’t be too severe.” That’s the spirit.

Goal! Man City 1-0 Everton (Sterling, 43)

A glorious goal. Man City attack down the left vila Silva, but Keane launches the ball clear. Joao Cancelo saunters forward from left-back to pick up the loose ball, then bisects the Everton defence with an outside-of-the-boot through-ball - perfection - which invites the onrushing Sterling to tap home.

Raheem Sterling of Manchester City scores past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
Sterling celebrates. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
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41 mins: Everton mount a rare attack with Iwobi carrying the ball well and eventually being sent clear by Richarlison down the left. For a split second it looks like he might be in on goal, but Kyle Walker turn on his engine and bursts back to clean up. That’s what he’s there for.

39 mins: City continue to turn the screw, this time with a flurry of corners. None of them come to anything, but it increasingly feels like there’s only so long Everton can hold fort here. They need half-time.

Penalty rescinded!

VAR recommends Attwell have a look at the replay – presumably to check where exactly contact was made – and the referee deems it to have been a fair challenge after all! If you say so Stuart.

Penalty to Man City!

Sterling, who’s been the best player on the pitch this half, skitters forward from a central position and is fouled by Keane just inside the box. Or was it…?

Michael Keane of Everton tackles Raheem Sterling of Manchester City. A penalty is given, but later overturned after VAR. Photograph: Phil Oldham/REX/Shutterstock
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31 mins: Richarlison picks up a booking for a wild lunge on Kyle Walker after Townsend had been denied a free kick. He’ll miss next week’s game against Brentford as that’s already his fifth booking of the season – a good effort.

28 mins: Palmer picks up the ball on the edge of the box and slips a great ball to Silva, who is clean through. He goes for the dink, but Pickford stands tall to repel it. The ball loops up as far as the onrushing Gundogan, whose header beats the keeper but lands on top of the crossbar. Best chance so far.

27 mins: Iwobi’s first involvement is to waste a rare chance to start a counterattack with a sloppy pass. Foden bends in a cross from the left and it’s met by Sterling, who is leaning back and sends his header wildly over.

“A good day for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham,” writes Richard Hirst. “With Bournemouth losing, teams from the borough are top of both the Premier League and the Championship.” I guess we all get our kicks where we can.

21 mins: Sterling drives down the right again and wins a corner, which is eventually belted clear, and City come again. Everton can’t get out of their half.

18 mins: Sterling is seeing lots of the ball and seems to have to beating of Digne on that flank. He skitters past the Frenchman again and his low cross is belted clear. More japes from Pickford, who completely spills a deep cross. Gordon and Foden chase the loose ball and fall over each other. Honk.

16 mins: Gray is injured – and that’s a blow for Everton. He limps down the tunnel and on comes Alex Iwobi, the big-money signing who has something to prove having fallen out of favour of late.

13 mins: Gundogan spins on the edge of the box and tries to slide a lovely reverse ball through to Palmer, but an alert Godfrey cuts out the pass and Everton break. City get numbers back and snuff out the danger. Gray looks injured.

11 mins: Sterling skips past Digne and chips a nice cross to the back post where Foden, jumping backwards and twisting, can only direct his header wide – but not by much.

8 mins: City are hogging the ball now but Everton are defending resolutely and showing tenacity in the tackle, too. It’s doesn’t look like Richarlison will be getting many touches today.

Cole Palmer (L) of Manchester City in action against Allan (C) of Everton. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA
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6 mins: Walker hares forward and puts in a low cross, which is half-cleared as far as Cancelo but he scuffs his shot wide.

4 mins: The game has settled into the expected rhythm now, with Everton sitting deep and City seeing plenty of the ball. We’re treated to some early comedy from a pair of England internationals, as Pickford slices a clearance into the upper tier and Kyle Walker lets a simple pass run under his foot and out for a throw.

2 mins: City steam up the other end and win a free-kick on the right when Sterling draws a foul. Foden floats it in nicely but his cross doesn’t get a touch. Goal kick.

1 min: And we’re away. City kick off, gives the ball away immediately, and Everton go on the attack with Townsend and Gordon, whose shot is blocked.

As kickoff nears the teams march out of the tunnel, with much rabble-rousing clapping from Everton players, who are wearing funny button-up black warmup tops. Very odd. Stuart Attwell is the referee.

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Gary Naylor writes: “Interesting to consider what my fellow Blues would consider a success for Rafa today. I’d say he’s already ticked one box in selecting Anthony Gordon. Next I want to see coherent defending at set pieces. Finally not shipping three or more goals.”

It’s worth nothing that Everton have a promising young midfielder of their own. Anthony Gordon has been one of their brightest players through their recent spell of iffy form – and scored twice for England U21s last week – and he keeps his place from last week’s draw against Spurs, with Allan and Fabian Delph likely to be doing the midfield dirty work. Andros Townsend, meanwhile, will have a lot of thankless running to do today if the free-roaming Joao Cancelo is to be kept quiet.

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So then. Phil Foden has been passed fit and he starts for Guardiola’s strikerless wonders, while Raheem Sterling also gets the chance to play himself back into favour. But the real surprise is the inclusion of 19-year-old Cole Palmer, who makes his first Premier League start. Palmer is highly thought of and got his first senior goal in the win a Club Bruges this season. He made his debut against Burnley in October … and scored a hat-trick for the club’s under-23 team that night. Not bad eh?

Team news!

Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Palmer, Sterling, Foden. Subs: Steffen, Carson, Dias, Ake, Jesus, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Mahrez, McAtee

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Digne, Delph, Allan, Townsend, Gordon, Gray, Richarlison. Subs: Begovic, Kenny, Iwobi, Tosin, Gbamin, Branthwaite, Rondon, Simms, Onyango

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Preamble

Six months into Rafael Benitez’s Everton reign, the team’s progress under his stewardship has been unsteady. He has coaxed great form from unlikely sources (Andros Townsend, Demarai Gray) but failed thus far to get the best from his most talented attackers (Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin). A good start has given way to a severe recent wobble, and although a run of three defeats was ended last week in the only way Benitez knows how – a gruelling big-game 0-0 – he’ll need more than creditable draws in the long run.

Benitez’s resources have been severely limited (the club that spent £100m on Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson gave him just £1.7m in the summer) and so far the Goodison crowd has given their old nemesis their backing. But with the team winless in five and the Merseyside derby a fortnight away, patience may soon run begin to thin.

Meanwhile it’s hard times for Manchester City, who come into today’s game without their best player, their record signing and – maybe – their hottest youngster. Whether those absences will be much felt is another matter, though, given the middling form of Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish this season, and the fact that Phil Foden can be replaced by one of many fleet-footed creators at Pep Guardiola’s disposal.

City enjoyed themselves last week during their walking-pace victory in the Manchester derby but their shock 2-0 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace the week before offered proof that Guardiola’s team are eminently beatable, so long as you’re organised, resilient and capable of spring the odd lightning counterattack. Which just so happens to be the very battle-plan Benitez has spent his entire career perfecting. Stay tuned – this one could be good.

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