Tough day for Everton as Benitez’s squad gets stretched further

Chris Coughlin, BBC Radio Merseyside

A trip to the reigning champions was always going to be a difficult task for Rafa Benitez’s injury-hit team and, other than a bright start from Everton, that proved to be the case at the Etihad.

Once Manchester City seized control of proceedings on Sunday, there only looked to be one winner, even before Raheem Sterling’s clinical first-time finish broke the deadlock with half-time approaching.

City, who finished the game with 77% possession, doubled their lead with an emphatic second through Rodri’s long-range strike, before Bernardo Silva added a composed late third.

Everton’s misery was compounded further with the loss of Demarai Gray to an adductor injury, as well as Richarlison picking up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season in just eight appearances, meaning that the Brazilian will miss next Sunday’s trip to Brentford.

Benitez has insisted in recent weeks that he remains positive looking ahead to the second half of the season, but with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea on the horizon, the decimated Blues face a test to recover their form from the early months of the campaign.