Manchester City’s bid for a 15th successive season of Champions League football was bolstered by two late goals in a 2-0 win at Everton they barely deserved.
The game was meandering towards a draw, which would have made them vulnerable to Chelsea who play rivals Nottingham Forest on Monday, when 20-year-old Nico O’Reilly stabbed home in the 84th minute.
Substitute Mateo Kovacic doubled the lead in added time to open up a four-point cushion over their sixth-placed Stamford Bridge chasers.
But a ninth successive – and final – win at Goodison Park looked unlikely for so long as despite having much more to play for than their hosts, whose survival had been long secured, if not mathematically, they lacked energy, desire and cohesion.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was not fully extended until the 72nd minute when he dived low to his right to stop a shot from Omar Marmoush, who should have scored when a mistake by substitute Michael Keane presented him with a one-on-one only for the England international to stick out an arm.
Then Keane, making his first appearance since early February after a hamstring injury to James Tarkowski, failed to track the run of O’Reilly for the opening goal and from there City found a confidence which had been lacking.
Half-an-hour into the game Vitalii Mykolenko found space on the left behind City’s half-hearted press and Bernardo Silva turned and flung his arms out wide, questioning Matheus Nunes’ position 50 yards behind him. Nunes responded with a similar gesture.
Meanwhile, Everton were winning a corner from which Tarkowski headed against a post.
That was the closest anyone came for the first three-quarters of the game despite Kevin de Bruyne being given the freedom of Goodison Park, roaming everywhere from a nominal false nine position in an attempt to find some space for creativity.
But it made little difference without any intensity from his team-mates, with Savinho unable to get on the end of his far-post cross and then complaining without success he had been impeded by Jake O’Brien.
The Everton defender definitely did intervene late in the half, diving to head De Bruyne’s goalbound shot wide just moments after Jack Harrison felt he should have had a penalty for the ball striking Savinho’s hand.
Surprisingly there were no changes from Pep Guardiola at half-time but the faith he had in his starting XI was not rewarded as Everton restarted quickly with goalkeeper Stefan Ortega’s quick reactions denying Jarrad Branthwaite’s close-range header.
Tarkowski’s departure left Everton’s defence weaker and Keane’s first involvement was to be cautioned for fouling Marmoush, the first booking of the game indicating a general lack of competitiveness.
The last involvement of on-loan Chelsea forward Armando Broja, starting back-to-back games for the first time in three and a half months but doing little to press claims for a permanent move, saw him twice lose out too easily to Josko Gvardiol.
Beto was already stripped by then but it was Abdoulaye Doucoure who threatened next, forcing Ortega to palm his angled drive around the post.
And although Pickford came to Keane’s rescue once, he could not prevent either of the late goals.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was delighted by the way Ollie Watkins channelled his anger at his bit-part role against Paris St Germain with a man-of-the-match display in the 4-1 thrashing of fellow Champions League contenders Newcastle.The long-serving 29-year-old started both legs of the quarter-final clash with the French champions on the bench, making late substitute appearances in the 3-1 loss ...
Aston Villa put their Champions League disappointment behind them with an emphatic 4-1 win against in-form Newcastle as Unai Emery’s men continued their bid to return to European football’s top table in style.Four days on from falling agonisingly short in a pulsating quarter-final clash with Paris St Germain, Villa Park rocked once again as the third-placed Magpies saw their six-match ...
Graham Potter blasted his players for their inability to control games and admitted he faces some big decisions this summer after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by rock-bottom Southampton.Relegated Saints were still on course to be crowned the worst team in Premier League history after Jarrod Bowen fired the hosts into the lead just after half-time.But Southampton were not even the worst tea...
Andoni Iraola insisted record-breaking Bournemouth “cannot be happy with this point” after their European football ambitions were dented by a goalless draw at 10-man Crystal Palace.The hosts clung on after Chris Richards was controversially sent off with a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time of a contest which never found a flow, and saw referee Sam Barrott dole out nine cau...
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes their 2-0 win over Everton in their final visit to Goodison Park was hugely significant in the quest to secure a 15th successive season of Champions League football.The game was meandering towards a draw, which would have opened the door for sixth-placed Chelsea, until Nico O’Reilly (84) and Mateo Kovacic, in added time, scored to open up a four...
Annan kept their Scottish League One survival hopes alive with a stunning 5-1 win over champions Arbroath at Galabank.Arbroath – who had secured promotion last weekend – took a 17th-minute lead through Billy King.Paul Smith equalised from a corner in the 31st minute, with Tommy Muir then knocking in the rebound after Willie Gibson’s penalty was saved nine minutes later.Muir exten...
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace kept alive Brentford’s outside hopes of qualifying for Europe as 10-man Brighton were beaten 4-2 at the Gtech Community Stadium.A first home Premier League win in four months meant a top-eight finish is within the reach of Thomas Frank’s side and the steely self-assurance with which they saw off another European hopeful would suggest they can carry the fight ...
Bournemouth brought up a club record Premier League points tally but would have wanted more after playing out a goalless draw at 10-man Crystal Palace.The contest rarely found a flow and by the time it concluded referee Sam Barrott had issued nine yellow cards.Two of those were to Palace defender Chris Richards, who was controversially dismissed late in the first half.The result took the Cherries ...
Lesley Ugochukwu’s added-time strike ensured Southampton equalled Derby’s record-low Premier League points total with a 1-1 draw at West Ham.Relegated Saints were still on course to be crowned the worst team in Premier League history after Jarrod Bowen fired the hosts into the lead.But they were not even the worst team at the London Stadium for long periods of a dreadful game.And they ...
Dramatic late goals from Raith Rovers kept the Scottish Championship title race alive as they came from behind to beat 10-man Falkirk 3-1.Falkirk looked like moving six points clear of Livingston with two games left to play when Calvin Miller fired them in front after 17 minutes.But they failed to add to that advantage before being reduced to 10 men just after the hour when Sean Mackie was shown a...
- 1 Four Tottenham stars could leave this summer
- 2 PL side eyeing summer move for Rashford
- 3 Man City in pole position to secure Morgan Gibbs
- 4 Pop icon with £580M net worth makes appearance at Stamford Bridge
- 5 David Gray hails ‘incredible achievement’ as Hibernian match club record run
- 6 Enzo Maresca: It’s up to Chelsea fans to decide if they want to back team
- 7 Vitor Pereira reveals lofty ambitions for Wolves after victory over Tottenham
- 8 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 9 Arteta makes exciting Arsenal transfer claim
- 10 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt