Marco Silva says recreating the “attitude and desire” which ran Manchester City close on Saturday is key to Everton piecing together a sequence of positive results.

The Blues’ Premier League clash with City was hanging in the balance right up until Raheem Sterling rifled home off the underside of the bar with six minutes remaining.

Everton went into the break level after Dominic Calvert-Lewin pounced to level Gabriel Jesus’s strike.

Visiting goalkeeper Ederson acrobatically kept out a Yerry Mina header nine minutes after the restart and Riyad Mahrez tipped the contest City’s way when he planted a 71st-minute free-kick past Jordan Pickford.

“Manchester City were better than us until the first goal but we showed a reaction and the desire to challenge them to try to get a different result,” Silva told evertontv.

“The reaction was really good, we equalised and the game was more balanced.

“Our players showed that desire to react and challenge them.

“Then the second half was better.

“We spoke at half-time about being more aggressive in our organisation and in the challenge.

“The reaction after City scored the free-kick was very good again and we had two big chances.

“We have to keep the attitude and desire we showed in the second half.

“In this way, we will score and get results in the next games. From good results confidence will come and everything will be different.”

Premier League champions City had been the last team to win at Goodison Park following their 2-0 victory back on 6 February until Sheffield United ended the Blues' seven-match unbeaten home run seven days ago.

Silva’s side had to settle for a smaller possession share than Pep Guardiola’s team but nevertheless aimed 12 shots, eight on them on target.

Indeed, the Blues appeared to be gaining the upper hand when Ederson denied Mina's header from a corner with the scores tied 1-1.

City’s Brazilian goalkeeper saved his side again at 2-1 when he used his left leg to repel Calvert-Lewin after Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pass sliced open the City defence.

Ederson flew right to save from another Mina header and Calvert-Lewin knocked the ball wide after being first to the rebound.

Calvert-Lewin’s first-half goal – following smart work from Alex Iwobi and Seamus Coleman – was the striker’s fourth in three appearances. He hit both Everton goals in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday.

“We did not have the ball so much against City and it is not easy to create chances against them – but we created chances to score more goals,” added Silva.

“We reacted really well, not just in this game but on Tuesday as well.

“We showed that desire and different things, playing a bit more direct, looking more for the opponents’ box.

“We didn’t get the most important thing, the result. But we got some positives from the game.

“They were more clinical and got the result.

“We possibly deserved more from the game than we got.”

Silva picked Theo Walcott to start but lost the attacker inside 60 seconds after he received a ball to the head from Raheem Sterling’s hard-hit cross.

“Something can always happen, we had a plan with Theo for the space we knew City would give behind their left-back,” added Silva.

“With Theo Walcott’s directness we could have exploited that.

“Alex Iwobi came on and did well.

“But it is never good when you have a plan and have to change something one or two minutes into the game.”