Manchester City’s poor performance continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at home in the Premier League. Despite having multiple opportunities, Erling Haaland failed to convert in front of goal and missed a crucial penalty in the second half, saved by Jordan Pickford.
City’s dreadful run has now extended to only one win in their last 13 games, leading manager Pep Guardiola to consider adding new players to the team in January. On the other hand, Sean Dyche’s team has been on a good run, securing a point against top teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and City in the last two weeks.
The home team, looking to close the gap on the top four and secure a spot in the Champions League, had a great start at the Etihad when Bernardo Silva’s shot got deflected into the far corner off Jarrad Branthwaite’s leg. However, instead of calming the nerves, City’s failure to score a second goal added pressure to the game. Minutes after Silva missed a clear chance to double their lead, Everton equalised through Iliman Ndiaye’s third goal of the season. The Senegalese player had to work hard to control Abdoulaye Doucoure’s pass before scoring a brilliant goal, leaving goalkeeper Stefan Ortega helpless.
The teams went into half-time with a 1-1 score and a sense of disappointment among the City fans. In the second half, City had a chance to get back to winning ways when Savinho was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty. However, Jordan Pickford guessed correctly and saved Haaland’s low penalty, and even though the striker scored from the rebound, he was ruled offside, highlighting his and the team’s recent struggles.
The dropped points mean that Guardiola’s warning before the match that City could miss out on the Champions League places next season is not far-fetched at all.
