Manchester City’s two second half goals secured the reigning champions a hard-fought victory against Everton.

Everton welcome Premier League champions Manchester City to Goodison Park.

The Pep Guardiola’s men are currently eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool as City look to narrow gap with a win against Marco Silva’s side.

Man City go into the match off the back of a blistering 8-0 win over Watford, while Everton slipped up in their most recent league feature against newly promoted Sheffield United.

Everton was forced into an early change as Alex Iwobi replaced Theo Walcott who was hit on the back of the neck by a Sterling cross, and he’s really groggy. So much so, that he’s being taken from the pitch on a stretcher.

Manchester City’s record scorer Sergio Aguero was on the bench while Gabriel Jesus spearheads a City attack that also includes Raheem Sterling, who was an unused substitute in last week’s 8-0 win over Watford.

The change paid off as Gabriel Jesus stoops to head a De Bruyne first-time cross with a vicious bending arc right onto the six-yard line the ball beneath Pickford for City’s first goal.

Nine minutes later the host were back in it with goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The ball slipped across to captain Coleman overlapping on the right with Ederson rushing out, he expertly clips the ball over him. As it’s bouncing towards the line, Calvert-Lewin gets the final touch with a diving header.

On resumption, Manchester city increased the heat on their host and that almost paid off with Raheem sterling missing a sitter.

Mahrez played him through and all he had to do was slot it past Pickford, the side-foot beats the keeper, but just curls around the post.

The goal finally arrived with Riyahd Mahrez hitting a trademark free-kick as he bends the ball around the wall, low which Pickford couldn’t stop.

 

 

After missing the sitter, Raheem Sterling also got in the goals act for city with his 100th club career goal.

The move started from Sergio Aguero, whose driving run enabled Mahrez to find space on the right.

The pair overlap and Aguero then fizzes the ball to Sterling, who lashes it first time against the bar. Power sends the ball spinning immediately out, but goal-line technology indicates it was over.

 

The 3-1 victory means Guardiola’s men keep Liverpool in their sights.

 

Starting XI’s…

Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Delph, Schneiderlin, Walcott (Iwobi), Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Lossl, Holgate, Tosun, Iwobi, Sidibe, Davies, Kean.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling, Jesus.

Subs: Bravo, Aguero, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Mendy, Cancelo, Foden.