Manchester City edged nearer to securing Champions League soccer subsequent season as Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic struck late to seal a 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
City climbed to fourth with 58 factors from 33 matches, 4 factors away from sixth-place Chelsea and seventh-place Aston Villa, though they’ve performed another recreation. The high 5 finishers qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League.
O’Reilly opened the scoring by tapping in from 4 meters after assembly Matheus Nunes’ low cross, whereas Kovacic added a second with a exact strike from the sting of the field to wrap up the win.
It was onerous work for City for 85 minutes as they battled to create clear-cut probabilities, whereas residence defender James Tarkowski struck the put up with a header from a nook within the first half. Everton stay thirteenth with 38 factors from 33 video games.
There will likely be reduction for City supervisor Pep Guardiola as his aspect got here up in opposition to the fired-up hosts in a hostile ambiance at Goodison Park, the third-last league recreation on the well-known previous floor earlier than Everton transfer to a brand new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.
“We had to work hard,” City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan instructed the BBC. “This floor is all the time powerful to come back and play at, with the way in which they method the sport.
“We had to be careful. Maybe at the beginning, we didn’t want to risk it too much. We came out in the second half to perform, and we’ve done that in a brilliant way. Definitely deserved to get the three points.”
The residence aspect had their moments, and supervisor David Moyes can take some positives from the sport, however he was left to rue a hamstring harm to Tarkowski that compelled the defender off.
“I thought for 60 minutes we were okay, we played well and gave them a good game,” Moyes stated. “Tarky (Tarkowski) coming off adjustments lots of issues within the recreation.
“Their subs made a difference, and ours didn’t. They took control in the second half.”
Everton got here closest within the first half when Tarkowski struck the put up with a header from a nook, and Jake O’Brien headed off the road to maintain out Kevin De Bruyne’s goal-bound shot.
City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega then made an outstanding point-blank save to cease Jarrad Branthwaite’s header.
But the guests tightened their grip on the sport within the closing levels, and as soon as O’Reilly opened the scoring, the battle went out of the house aspect.
Source: www.dailysabah.com