Everton 2 – 3 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS

A diluted atmosphere, a scrappy game and a defining victory. In a match which felt decisive, there was a bewildering mix of emotions, ranging from deflation to confusion to tension and ending, happily for us, with a wave of ecstatic relief. The importance of these three points cannot be overstated, handing us the perfect opportunity to reclaim the Premier League title. With just two home games to go, it is most definitely in our hands.

For extended spells yesterday, this encounter felt anything but crucial. The home fans at Goodison Park have a recently acquired and slightly odd fiery hatred of City, usually manifesting itself in a passionate atmosphere and a cauldron of noise to which we have struggled to adjust over the past few years. On Saturday, however, it couldn’t have been less intimidating. Aware of the permutations for their locals rivals if City were to win, it was as if the home fans were unable to make up their minds. They wanted to see a competitive performance, undoubtedly, but there was a lingering feeling of indifference.

What resulted was a tepid atmosphere that perhaps lulled the City players into a false sense of security, because for all the admirable grit and spirit on show, there was a startling lack of quality. That, it must be added, is hardly the main consideration at this stage of the season, but is seemed strange that we didn’t need to perform at anywhere near our best to defeat such a problematic opponent. Everton were pretty in patches, sloppy in others and only turned up the heat towards the end. It was in direct contrast to our recent visits to Goodison Park.

When Ross Barkley majestically opened the scoring early on, City fans would have been forgiven for thinking that the troubles on the road to Everton were rearing their undesired head once more. And yet, aided by a home side that lacked a punch, the fightback began. Sergio Aguero showed his pace, poise and clinical touch by guiding in the equaliser before James Milner’s intelligent footwork on the wing created an opportunity for Edin Dzeko, the Bosnian leaping powerfully to send the visiting fans delirious. In the face of adversity, we had shown plentiful character.

Dzeko’s goal at the start of the second half owed everything to Fernandinho’s vision and Samir Nasri’s touch, but just as thoughts were drifting towards a comfortable victory and attention turned in the direction of upcoming games, our hosts bounced back to arrange a nervy finale. Under intense pressure, though, City’s defensive shield withstood any further endeavours and that was that: hard-fought, dramatic and successful.

On a day when the team as a collective failed to sparkle in terms of attacking fluency, Joe Hart received my vote as the standout performer. Not called into action a great deal, he retained concentration, spread an air of total authority and pulled off a couple of saves which, as the cliché goes, were as good as a goal. His first stop in particular, racing out to deny Steven Naismith following a quickfire Everton break, was outstanding, worthy of special acclaim. The fact we scored a minute later highlighted its importance, but Hart is happy to go about his business without courting attention. He seems to have mellowed since his absence from the side, his decision-making much better and both Manuel Pellegrini and Xabi Mancisidor deserve praise for how they handled a tricky situation.

Ahead of Hart, Martin Demichelis and Vincent Kompany were a pair of commanding blocks when required, James Milner fought tirelessly to thwart Leighton Baines’s frequent advances and Samir Nasri contributed to a hard-working team effort. Yaya Touré provided occasional surges to frighten Everton’s backline and Edin Dzeko was his wildly frustrating yet undeniably crucial self once again. It was a solid enough, effective enough display.

It’s now in our destiny, two home wins away from the title. On paper, both of those fixtures look agreeable but we know only too well from experience how foolish it would be to relax now. The players know that, too, and I get the sense there is a professionalism about the squad that won’t allow our hopes to crumble. They have shown in the past couple of games how to fight and scrap for the points. Now, it will be about breaking down stubborn defences. Our time has almost arrived.

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