Haaland Double Dents Positive Everton Display At City

Everton could not build on a brilliant first half where they created a host of chances as the in-form Erling Haaland’s double handed them a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad.

Despite City coming into the clash on a seven-match unbeaten run, the Blues were the better team in the opening 45 minutes, Beto dragging a shot wide when well placed, having gone agonisingly close to turning home a low cross from the superb Iliman Ndiaye.

Other opportunities came for Ndiaye – the best player on the pitch for much of the contest – and James Garner. But Haaland continued his prolific form in front of goal to net his 10^th goal of the Premier League campaign when heading home Nico O’Reilly’s cross on 57 minutes.

And goal number 11 arrived six minutes later, albeit in fortuitous circumstances, when the striker’s scuffed finish took a deflection off James Tarkowski to beat Jordan Pickford.

Boss David Moyes made three changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium before the international break.

With loanee Jack Grealish ineligible to face his parent club, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall came straight back into the XI after serving a one-match ban, while Beto and Charly Alcaraz were rewarded with starts after coming off the bench to help end Palace’s 19-match unbeaten run.

Everton set out their intentions on six minutes, Ndiaye recreating his injury-time trickery that set up Grealish’s winner against the Eagles, this time beating O’Reilly on the right byline and chipping in a dangerous cross that was headed away by Ruben Dias.

The Senegalese created again moments later, intercepting Nathan Ake’s loose pass, sprinting down the right channel and cutting back for Beto, whose outstretched leg couldn’t place the ball into an empty net.

After Jake O’Brien had headed against his own crossbar from a corner under pressure from Haaland, Everton had a glorious chance to take the lead just after the half-hour mark. Ndiaye created once more, cutting a through ball to put Beto clear, only for the striker to screw his low finish wide. The assistant referee flagged for offside but replays suggested VAR would have intervened to confirm otherwise.

An impressive first half continued when Ndiaye switched the ball between his feet to glide past O’Reilly and smash a shot that was turned over the bar by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The second half was a quieter affair, which looked to be playing into Everton’s hands until Haaland’s quickfire double either side of the hour mark punctured the momentum Moyes’ men had done so well to build.

Garner saw his squeezed shot from eight yards out deflected behind for a corner – after a brief VAR check for handball – while the fit-again Merlin Röhl came on with 20 minutes remaining for his second Toffees appearance.

The Blues will now turn their attention to extending their unbeaten start at Hill Dickinson Stadium with a home clash against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday 26 October (4.30pm BST).