Everton 1-3 Manchester City
Take a look at the Premier League 2021 betting odds for the very top of the table, and you can find the odds on Manchester City disappearing from sight after they made it 17 wins on the bounce with a 3-1 victory at Goodison Park.
The Sky Blues’ lead at the summit of the Premier League table is now ten points and they look unstoppable. There’s plenty to play for in terms of European places and survival, but the title race is City’s to lose.
Super strikes from Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva were punctuated by a freaky Richarlison goal as Manchester City put on a performance of champions.
Highlights of the game
The in-form Ilkay Gundogan scored his 11th goal in 12 Premier League games in City’s 3-0 victory over Spurs last week, but he was missing from the line-up having suffered a groin injury at the weekend.
But the league leaders have a deep and talented squad and Gundogan’s absence made a space available for Mahrez, who was in the game immediately, raiding down the left. When his cross was half-cleared by Mason Holgate, Silva tested Jordan Pickford with a low drive.
Gabriel Jesus has scored in his last five appearances against Everton he was sent through on goal by Rodri, but he swept his effort over under pressure from Michael Keane.
Everton played a pressing game in an attempt to stifle the Sky Blues, but they only held the visitors at bay for half an hour. Mahrez was again the Toffees’ tormentor as he swung a beautiful ball into the penalty area that was half-cleared to Phil Foden, who drilled it home with the help of a deflection off Seamus Coleman.
But Everton hit back quickly with a bit of good fortune. Coleman chipped a ball over to the far post which Lucas Digne hit first time, and when his shot bounced back off the post, it hit Richarlison and rebounded into the net.
City came back at the Toffees and Pickford had to get down quickly to stop a Foden effort to keep the scores level at the break.
The Everton keeper was in action again at the start of the second half getting a strong hand to Silva’s shot. The Toffees seemed to have a foothold in the game, until Mahrez took a pass from Silva and hit a beautiful shot which curled in off the far post giving Pickford no chance at all.
Everton matched the Sky Blues for effort but they couldn’t live with them otherwise and on 77 minutes it was all over. Again it was fantastic football and Mahrez was involved, feeding Jesus who in turn found Silva and he sidestepped Keane before smashing the ball home.
The Sky Blues brought Kevin de Bruyne on for the last ten minutes and he looked sharp. And that was just about the last thing the chasing pack wanted to see!
Key statistics
The pre-match SBOTOP odds had Manchester City at 1.37 to win, and it was never really in doubt. The Sky Blues have won six on the run against the Toffees, netting at least twice each time.
City have not been behind since Spurs beat them in November and as well as winning 17 domestic games in a row, the Sky Blues are unbeaten in 13 matches away for home, and are unbeaten in 24.
And now the Sky Blues have become the first top-flight team to win their opening ten league games in a calendar year, breaking the record of Bolton Wanderers in 1906 and Manchester United in 2009.
This is some team.
What’s next?
Everton were hoping to have top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit again for tonight’s game, but he failed a fitness test and will hope his hamstring injury clears up in time for the Merseyside Derby on Saturday.
Liverpool’s recent Premier League 2021 results have yielded three consecutive defeats, but the Reds had a major boost last night when they beat Leipzig 2-0 in the first leg of their Round of 16 Champions League tie.
On Sunday, Pep Guardiola takes his troops to the Emirates to meet his old protégé Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. The Gunners have been misfiring this season and are currently stranded in mid-table.
The Sky Blues are back in Champions League action when they face Borussia Monchengladbach at the Puskas Arena in Budapest next week.
Die Fohlen have been inconsistent of late, dropping to seventh in the Bundesliga table having won just two of the last six, and they are set to lose their head coach Marco Rose, who has triggered a clause in his contract to enable a move to Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
