Everton endured a heartbreaking 3-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this evening as their winless run in the Premier League continues.
The Toffees, as expected, spent most of the time defending Man City’s relentless attacks. They conceded the first goal in the 24th minute when Gabriel Jesus found himself on the end of an excellent chipped ball in from Kevin de Bruyne. But, the hosts came up with a quick response when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the equaliser in the 33rd minute after Seamus Coleman’s initial chipped effort.
Everton fought tooth and nail not to concede any more goals in the second half. But, their efforts were in vain when Riyad Mahrez scored from a free-kick in the 71st minute before Raheem Sterling added more gloss to the scoreline six minutes from time.
Here is how Marco Silva’s men fared in their defeat at the hands of the defending champions.
Jordan Pickford 6
It was an average performance from the England international, who has been on a steady decline following his heroics in last year’s World Cup. He should have done a lot better keeping out Mahrez’s freekick. Did, however, make a couple of good saves.
Seamus Coleman 7.5
It was a mixed performance from Coleman. The Irishman produced an excellent chip over Ederson that led to Everton’s equaliser in the first half. But, he delivered a host of sloppy passes and never really looked comfortable with the ball at his feet.
Michael Keane 8
A busy game for Keane, who made a plethora of blocks and tackles to keep the Man City at bay throughout the ninety minutes. Couldn’t have done any more aside from being a little more competent in dealing with Gabriel Jesus for the opener.
Yerry Mina 7.5
The Colombian international did a decent job defensively. But, his unnecessary tackle just outside the box in the 70th minute resulted in the freekick that was converted by Mahrez. He was, however, a threat in the air, on the opposite end of the pitch and will consider himself unfortunate not to have scored today.
Lucas Digne 6
It wasn’t the sharpest of displays from Digne, who lacked precision with his deliveries. His failure to provide clear cut chances, especially in the second half forced Everton to rely on Calvert-Lewin’s hold-up play in the final third. The Frenchman also struggled defensively.
Morgan Schneiderlin 7.5
Schneiderlin’s presence in midfield offered protection for the backline. He was always there, preventing the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne to have an easy run in on the defence. But, he made an awful tackle on de Bruyne that resulted in a yellow and later, his substitution.
Fabian Delph 8
Delph’s explosive presence in the centre of the pitch was useful as Everton tried their best to keep hold of the Man City attackers. The England international did lack support, with Schneiderlin lacking pace and mobility.
Theo Walcott N/A
An unfortunate game for Walcott, who was stretchered off just after one minute following a head injury. He was replaced by Alex Iwobi.
Gylfi Sigurdsson 7.5
Sigurdsson did well to attain his defensive chores while being Everton’s creator-in-chief going forward. The ex-Swansea City star should have been more opportunistic with his chances but did quite well to craft a few scoring opportunities for his side.
Richarlison 8.5
Richarlison impressed once again with his tenacity and willingness to close down the opposition. The Brazilian won the ball multiple times and was always a reliable outlet going forward. Silva could have deployed him in the number nine role right from the beginning.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin 7.5
Calvert-Lewin should be replaced with a more potent striker. Indeed, the 22-year-old forward missed a golden opportunity in the second half – a finish which never really looked like a striker’s finish at all despite Ederson’s excellent save.
As for scoring the equaliser, he barely applied the final touch to Coleman’s chip, which was going in anyway. But, the Everton star worked hard for his team and had a good game in front of the home supporters at Merseyside.
SUBSTITUTES
Alex Iwobi 7
Looked bright and menacing whenever he had the ball. But, he wasn’t involved in anything in particular and spent most of the time chasing the ball.
Moise Kean N/A
Replaced the substitute Iwobi during the final stages of the match. Didn’t get enough time to make any real impact.
Tom Davies N/A
A late replacement for Schneiderlin, who was already on a yellow card.
