If Erling Haaland’s admission of responsibility after Manchester City’s defeat at Aston Villa was an attempt to improve his form, it didn’t work. His and his team’s struggle continues in a haze of aimless and completely rudderless football.
Haaland’s glaring mistake here made him a headline maker, missing a penalty early in the second half. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved, but the penalty was hopelessly weak and in the ensuing confusion it was a yard offside when Haaland headed it home.
The great Norwegian has scored one Premier League goal since November 9, while City’s dismal record currently stands at just one win in 13 competitive games. Josep Guardiola’s defending champions have won just eight of the 18 league games they have played this season.
Here, against an increasingly ambitious Everton side, City were surprisingly directionless. They got off to a good start in the first and second halves of the match, taking the lead after 15 minutes with a goal from Bernardo Silva.
But Guardiola’s side appear to lack leadership on and off the field, and are clueless when it comes to regaining rhythm once a game loses its rhythm. City looks physically shot and mentally drained.
The ghost footballers have been eliminated in the Boxing Day fog, and the longer it goes on, the more you wonder if Guardiola will wake up one morning and realize it’s time for someone else to take on the challenge. Increase.
Erling Haaland misses a penalty as Manchester City drop another point against the Etihad
Jordan Pickford made a save, but the out-of-form striker’s shot was hopelessly weak.
Josep Guardiola’s team continued to have a miserable run despite being pushed by Everton.
Everton were a decent opponent here, but no better. A City team playing at 75 percent would have been able to beat them, but this version is nowhere near that, and that particular percent is only heading south.
Sean Dyche’s side had an equal chance of winning this game and losing it after Everton’s young prospect Iliman Ndiay scored the equalizer just before the break. City did not threaten again after Haaland’s mistake but could have gotten away with it in the end when Everton were able to squander a 4-on-2 counter-attack with a minute left in stoppage time. .
Although City have dipped in form, fitness and enjoyment, they were full of energy and purpose in the early stages. Everton were a team that looked a bit stagnant, finding themselves boxed in and under pressure.
The difference from City’s point of view was the speed at which they moved the ball. Guardiola’s side have been equally threatening for some time, with Jeremy Doku and young Brazilian Sabinho keen to break in from wide positions, and Haaland relying on Jarrod Branthwaite to survive. Admittedly, they were working at a pretty low bar.
City reused a corner kick on the left and almost got a header after just three minutes, before substitute central defender Josko Gvardiol stood up undaunted and headed the ball at his near post in what looked like a goal. I took a shot.
The moment sent the home crowd into a bit of a euphoria, and City were able to fight back. Sabinho beat two defenders and cut in from the right before hitting the near post with a low left-footed shot that was saved by Pickford. City then added another point in the 15th minute.
This was a simple enough move as Doc held the ball and position on the left, waiting for Silva to escape Branthwaite’s shoulder. When he did, he looked a little wide to shoot with hope, but when he actually took the shot, Branthwaite was completely unable to block it and the ball strangely It slowly crossed the front of the goal and dove into the far corner.
Branthwaite should have done better and so could Pickford. But the city didn’t care. This was Silva’s second goal since August, which was overdue. City celebrated with as much fanfare as you would expect.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford rules out Haaland keeping the score level in Manchester
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye equalized with a stunning goal just before half-time.
Ndiaye scores the top corner after the ball from the right breaks through the City defence.
Pickford comfortably denied Haaland’s meek spot-kick and was able to keep the score level.
At this point, Everton had never enjoyed attacking up front and there was no initial response. Haaland continued to bully Branthwaite in the 27th minute, but Pickford’s goal-bound effort went wide.
Then, in the 34th minute, a long ball to the Norwegian was met by Phil Foden on the left. If Silva’s first shot with the outside of his left foot had gone a foot left, City would have taken a two-goal lead. But it flew so wide that I wondered why he didn’t touch it first, or actually use his other foot.
Regardless of the pros and cons of that decision, immediately after Everton equalized, City showed their frustration. All Dyche’s side had managed to do up to this point was Idrissa Gueye’s half-volley, which Stefan Ortega easily kept inside the City goal.
However, in the 37th minute, a cross from Abdoulaye Doucoure was deflected away by Manuel Akanji, and the ball found its way to Ndiaye, who controlled it with one touch and perfectly placed the half-volley past Ortega and into the top corner. Ta.
The beauty of the goal was in its timing. Ndiaye’s weight shifted backwards and he lost his balance, but he still managed to find the strength to beat the goalkeeper. It was a great effort by a really talented young player.
Trust in the City is fragile at the moment and things like this happen. It was to their credit that they started the second half well, with Gvardiol again hitting the foot of the post with a header, saving low from Sabinho’s feet and Mateo Kovacic drilling the rebound wide of the target. Ta.
Sabinho was a threat with his directness and it paid off in the 52nd minute. Vitaly Mykolenko’s challenge was reckless and high when the opponent ran towards him inside the penalty area. Referee Simon Hooper awarded the penalty but only he knows why he did not show the Everton defender a second yellow card and send him off.
The fact that Haaland’s penalty was too close to Pickford and was offside when he headed in the rebound perhaps sums up his current struggles. Additionally, Foden was standing behind him in an onside position, forcing Haaland to leave the ball where his teammate would probably score.
Bernardo Silva scores at the near post to give City the perfect start to the game.
Silva was congratulated by his teammates after breaking the deadlock on Thursday.
From that point on there was a bit of a hiccup for City. Just like at the start of the first half, some sharp football continued before the penalty kick. But again, it was really unbearable. There didn’t seem to be any players in the home shirt who could really get a grip on the game. Guardiola brought on Kevin De Bruyne with just under 15 minutes remaining, but it almost felt like a final throw of the dice given the quality and lack of experience on the home bench.
The best chance of the period after Haaland’s penalty miss actually fell to Everton as a cross from the far post from Jack Harrison was volleyed into the near corner by Doucoure, but Rico Lewis just blocked it. And it was much the same for Everton, who were closing in on another valuable point. Stay in the game as long as possible and break out with purpose.
They almost found a breakthrough with seven minutes remaining when Nathan Ake, who was struggling with injury, was unable to prevent the ball from falling into the path of Orel Mangala 22 yards out. When the first shot arrived, it hit Akanji and, frankly, could have gone anywhere. It missed the post by about a foot.
City were given six extra minutes, making their one point three points. There seemed to be a lot. Luiz could have been an instant hero, smashing a great chance over the bar from just inside the penalty area. Everton then broke well but could not make an overload count. From there there was a lull in the game, and in the final crucial moment Foden, last season’s doubles player of the year, was appointed to the shirt tug of war to stop Everton from breaking through. It seemed appropriate.
