Manchester City's plight is its own sort of individual deja vu nightmare. With early dominance, taking the lead, creating numerous opportunities, spurning them, and then their pesky enemies taking one of the few to frustrate those in light blue.
Add to this a regrettable missed penalty by Erling Haaland in the 53rd minute, received with a mischievous wink by Jordan Pickford after his save, and times are getting tougher for Pep Guardiola's men.
The end result is a win in 13 for the champions, a collapse so spectacular that it can be expected that “making a city” will soon become common usage. To Haaland's desperation they were flying. After that, they were left breathless. A ball monopolization that lacked security when approaching the Everton goal.
As the contest aged, Savinho's inflated chip caused Guardiola even more anger: another rejected opening. His team is also a liability every time he has to defend. A (reasonable) trope of Guardiola is how, like here, the opponent scores on very few opportunities. But this is a function of City's systematic failure from back to front. Missed opportunities become evident if the rearguard goes into a mini panic every time it is called into action.
Guardiola has been as dignified as his team has been disappointing during the terrible run. calm before the mediawhile exhorting his men to uphold City's principles, and on this occasion they did, at first. A feed from Josko Gvardiol forced a corner on the left. Phil Foden played one-two with Jérémy Doku and Gvardiol headed a cross to Pickford's right post. His coach scrunched up his face and then watched as Savinho's labyrinthine run ended in a shot that dribbled into Pickford's clutches. This was City in the old imperious mood, crushing teams with a bellicose game of passing and movement.
Savinho's runs destroyed Everton on the right. He again got into the area but pulled the trigger too late. Then Bernardo Silva showed the winger how to do it. On City's other flank, Doku's precise ball found the Portuguese's curved run: the angle was difficult but his shot bounced off Jarrad Branthwaite, past Pickford and into the far corner.
Silva ran to the jubilant crowd to celebrate. The teammates followed him. As did a quick second goal that almost followed. Foden took a free kick that begged Haaland or Nathan Aké to attack, but neither did and the playmaker waved his arms in annoyance.
City mocked the visitors. Foden slipped Haaland; He rounded Pickford but couldn't finish. At that moment, the fall of the champions seemed surreal, a fantastic fact. They were unrestrained.
What did Everton have? Maybe the hope of a great goal. In one play, forward Orel Mangala's curler worried Stefan Ortega just a little. What City possessed was a relentless but forceful threat. Haaland and Savinho were once again wasteful; his coach was worried, knowing that scoring another would calm him down.
Then came the candidate for goal of the month, if only Silva had achieved it. Haaland picked up a floating ball and fed Foden. Seeing Silva's explosion on the inside left, it was his turn, but the Portuguese's attempt with the outside of his left boot went wide.
Now Everton broke through City's defense to achieve the tie. On the right, Abdoulaye Doucouré crossed, Manuel Akanji, agitated, made the ball shine and Iliman Ndiaye did what Silva could not: finish with the outside edge of a boot: his right.
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Haaland could have scored the 14th league goal of the season and Foden the second. But the lack of cruelty cost them once again. Everton closed the period with a corner and a fourth chance for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which was a warning.
Guardiola's last medical report had not been encouraging: Kyle Walker was not feeling well, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gündogan, both on the bench, had had the flu and Jack Grealish was injured. However, here was an XI that included Haaland, Foden, Silva and other A stars. One of them, Haaland, missed the first start after the exchange of points: a header as aimless as the team. Another top player, Mateo Kovacic, went wide from distance.
When Vitalii Mykolenko brought down Savinho, referee Simon Hooper awarded the penalty. But Haaland trotted over and his insipid attempt was saved by Pickford, the striker's next header after the ball had been returned correctly ruled out for offside. The Everton goalkeeper had smiled at Haaland; While this may have put him off a bit, the Norwegian simply has to do better.
Towards the end, De Bruyne kept running, but his magic also disappeared. City moved in the final third, but a lack of teeth has replaced the old gluttony for goals. In added time, an Everton breakaway came close to achieving a classic landslide victory. An Akanji block saved City.
But as the defender said: “It can't happen that we almost lost in the last minute. We tried to attack but then we lost the ball and it was like a six-on-two situation. Luckily I blocked the shot. “Things like this can’t happen.”
