O’Reilly and Kovacic sink Everton to boost Manchester City’s top-five hopes | Premier League

The Premier League trophy Manchester City have proudly held for the past four years will be soon heading to one side of Stanley Park but, after exploding to life late against Everton, they took an important step towards Champions League qualification on the other. Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic sealed a victory that even Pep Guardiola may not have seen coming to edge City towards a place among the European elite for a 15th season in succession.

A goalless draw appeared the most likely outcome for most of a pedestrian contest but in a late twist, shaped by the positive impact of Guardiola’s substitutions and David Moyes’ subs having the opposite effect, City seized control of the closing stages and secure a ninth consecutive win at Goodison.

The finale was a stark contrast to everything that had gone before. City dominated possession from the first whistle but without urgency, movement and ideas of how to break down a well-drilled Everton defence their first-half performance was tedious in the extreme.

The referee, Simon Hooper, may not have been the most popular figure inside Goodison but deserved a medal for adding only three seconds on to the end of the opening period. Moyes’ side offered little in the final third themselves but contained the visitors comfortably from the start.

Savinho appealed for a penalty when going down under a touch from Jack Harrison as he closed in on a Kevin De Bruyne cross to the back post. Hooper nor the video assistant referee, Darren England, were moved by the claims of a winger who attracted pantomime boos from the home crowd for his theatrics thereafter.

The best and only real chance of the first half fell to Everton, who began to prosper down the flanks through Harrison and Vitalii Mykolenko. James Tarkowski towered above Josko Gvardiol at a James Garner corner and steered a header against the inside of Stefan Ortega’s left post. Matheus Nunes hacked clear before James O’Brien could pounce on the rebound.

Tarkowski later pulled up with a serious looking hamstring injury and was crestfallen as he was helped off the pitch. It could prove to be the Everton captain’s final appearance at Goodison depending on the severity of the injury. Everton also had a penalty claim dismissed when Harrison’s flick struck Savinho’s outstretched arm at close range.

City countered immediately through Bernardo Silva and Omar Marmoush, who teed up De Bruyne inside the Everton penalty area. The City captain, sportingly applauded off by Evertonians on his final outing at Goodison, swept a powerful shot towards the far corner only for O’Brien to brilliantly block with a diving header.

The hosts started the second half strongly. Ortega saved at close range from Jarrad Branthwaite after Tarkowski headed a free-kick from Garner on to his central defensive colleague. Branthwaite, unmarked and six yards out, directed his header straight at the City goalkeeper.

Ortega then missed a deep cross from Harrison. Iliman Ndiaye was unable to capitalise and Gvardiol made an important block as Abdoulaye Doucouré attempted to sweep home the second attempt. Doucouré was also foiled by Ortega when he cut inside Rúben Dias and aimed for the top corner.

Tarkowski’s departure and an unconvincing performance by his replacement, Michael Keane, helped tilt the contest back in City’s favour. Keane was booked within three minutes of his introduction for a late challenge on Marmoush and was off the pace against the previously anonymous January signing.

Marmoush and Ilkay Gündogan both tested Jordan Pickford from distance as City again dominated possession, only now with purpose. Marmoush brushed Keane aside to go through on goal only for the Everton keeper to turn his shot wide.

Moments later, with the game appearing destined for a goalless draw, Silva sent Nunes clear of Mykolenko to the right byline. The converted right-back fired low across the face of Everton’s six-yard box and O’Reilly, City’s converted left-back of all people, appeared between Keane and Branthwaite to fire home from close range.

Everton’s display deteriorated not only with Tarkowski’s injury but from weak contributions by several substitutes. City’s reinforcements, by contrast, flourished. In injury time the lively Jérémy Doku released Gündogan inside the area, who in turn found Kovacic lurking in space 20 yards out. The City substitute slipped yet was still able to sweep a powerful finish into Pickford’s bottom corner as he fell.