Manchester City blank Everton 2-0 to boost top-four finish: Stats
What's the story
Manchester City registered a much-needed 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, courtesy of late goals from Nico O'Reilly and Mateo Kovacic. The win took Pep Guardiola's side to fourth in the Premier League, enhancing their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. The goals came in the dying minutes of the match with O'Reilly scoring in the 84th minute and Kovacic adding another in stoppage time.
Match highlights
Everton's early dominance thwarted by City's defense
Despite their eventual victory, City had to fight hard for the three points against a spirited Everton side who dominated early on. James Tarkowski nearly gave Everton the lead in the first half when his header from a corner hit the post. City's goalkeeper Stefan Ortega played a key role in securing the win, making several crucial saves to keep Everton at bay.
Tactical shift
City's substitutions turn the tide against Everton
The turning point of the match came when City brought on Jeremy Doku and Kovacic in the 78th minute. The move paid off as O'Reilly scored his second goal for City, just a week after netting his first. Kovacic then doubled City's lead with a well-placed shot past Pickford, assisted by Ilkay Gundogan. This victory puts pressure on Chelsea and Aston Villa in their quest for Champions League football next season.
Details
Match stats and points table
Everton managed just two shots on target with visitors City clocking 7. Everton had 0.93 expected goals with City managing 2.09 of the same. Everton had 21 touches in the opposition box to City's 25. Guardiola's men had 67% ball possession. In terms of the points table, City are 4th with 58 points. They are a point below Newcastle United. This was City's 17th win of the season. Everton are 13th with 38 points from 33 matches.
Opta stats
Man City maintain their strong form against Everton
Man City are now unbeaten in their last 16 Premier League games against the Toffees (W13 D3). This was their 8th straight win at Goodison Park. This was the 14th match this season in the Premier League in which Everton failed to score a goal. City are unbeaten in their last 5 Premier League matches this season (W3 D2).