Everton 2-3 Man City: Match Zone
Here is how Romelu Lukaku scored the second goal for Everton against City - CLICK HERE FOR OUR BRILLIANT MATCH ZONE
So there is no curse and the bogey ground does not exist. Only once had Manchester City won at Goodison Park in their previous 16 attempts and this was supposedly the arena in which their championship challenge might falter.
But talents such as Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri are no respecters of mystical old English traditions.
Nor is a club that has seen more than £1billion lavished upon it since 2008. City forged a new reality at Goodison Park as the season that has ebbed and flowed like never before took what must surely be its final twist.
Manchester City are champions elect. True, it wasn’t easy. In the end they stumbled across the line, hanging on for a 3-2 win. And Everton, who finally relinquished the struggle for Champions League football, never faltered in their efforts.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch post-match reactions from Pellegrini and Martinez
Edin to the top of the league? Edin Dzeko (centre) heads City into the lead
In front: Dzeko celebrates giving his side the lead after heading past Everton keeper Tim Howard
Leap of faith: Dzeko jumps for joy after giving his side a 3-1 lead just after half-time
Stunner: Barkley celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game at Goodison Park
MATCH FACTS
Everton: Howard, Stones, Jagielka (Deulofeu 66'), Alcaraz, Coleman, McCarthy, Osman (McGeady 82'), Baines, Lukaku, Naismith, Barkley.
Subs bot used: Robles, Hibbert, Distin, Garbutt, Ledson.
Goals: Barkley 11', Lukaku 65'
Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Milner, Javi Garcia, Toure (Kolarov 66'), Nasri (Silva 74'), Dzeko, Aguero (Fernandinho 28').
Subs not used: Lescott, Negredo, Pantilimon, Jovetic.
Booked: Javi Garcia, Demichelis, Dzeko
Goals: Aguero 24', Dzeko 43' & 48'
Referee: Lee Probert
There would be no easing off to prevent city rivals Liverpool from winning the title. To the end they pressed and harried City, pinning them back in the final minutes, inducing a nervous finale. Perhaps there was a degree less intensity in the Goodison atmosphere, knowing that defeat would damage Liverpool. But still the crowd roared their team on to the end and it always remained more raucous than the average Premier League ground.
For all that, three points were accumulated by City and assuming they can now beat Aston Villa and West Ham at home - teams not known for their resilience once safe from relegation - City will be champions, barring a goal flurry of epic proportions from Liverpool.
‘It was a very big test,’ said Pellegrini, contemplating a first league title in his European career. ‘Today was difficult because of the history in this stadium. It was a decisive moment but we haven’t finished yet. We have just won one of the three games that we must win.’
Ahead: Barkley gave Everton the lead with a 25-yard screamer in the 11th minute of the match
Powerful: Sergio Aguero (left) fires City level against Everton in the 22nd minute
Over and out: Aguero was forced off with injury shortly after scoring for his side
Beaten: Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard can't stop Dzeko's header in the 43rd minute
Finish: Barkley's stunning opener came after good work from Baines (3) and Naismith (14) on the left
Vital: Dzeko (left) is congratulated by his team-mates after scoring the first of his goals
Happy: Martin Demichelis and Joe Hart (left) celebrate Dzeko's goal which put City into a 2-1 lead
It came at a cost though. Sergio Aguero scored City’s opening goal and limped off with a recurrence of his hamstring injury. Pellegrini did not know whether he will appear again this season.
Heavy though that blow is, it appears as if the hard work has now been done. There would be heart-stopping moments for City. With the game poised at 2-1, Joe Hart made a crucial save from Steven Naismith that kept his side ahead – ‘the save of the season,’ said Roberto Martinez.
‘It was a fascinating game,’ said Martinez. ‘And I don’t think we deserved to lose it. I think if anyone was questioning our integrity as a football club, had no reason to do it. The effort, the character of the players and the intention of winning the game was clear from the first second to the last. And the roar that celebrated Ross’s goal was the biggest of the season.’
Martinez is nothing if not bold, bringing Phil Jagielka back from injury and immediately asking the England centre half to play in the middle of a three, with John Stones and Antolin Alcaraz alongside him.
Fraught with risk, the strategy also created space, with City struggling with the extra numbers in midfield. That said, the opening goal on 11 minutes still required a moment of brilliance, the ball sweeping across field to Leighton Baines, who drilled it into Naismith. His first touch returned the ball to Ross Barkley, who, in front of England manager Roy Hodgson, Barkley first time a terrific, curling, dipping shot with pace from 25 yards into the top corner.
Bullet: Romelu Lukaku scored a brilliant diving header to give his side hope in the second half
Come on: Lukaku (centre) looks to get a reaction from his team-mates after his goal
Instruction: Everton manager Roberto Martinez tries to get a message across to his players during the match
It was a statement of intent. Everton were now passing the ball freely around City the title appeared to be slipping away. Pellegrini found a solution partly through luck and partly through the excellence of his individuals. On 22 minutes a delightful ball from Yaya Toure invited Sergio Aguro to run at goal. The Argentine set his sights and struck low and hard inside Tim Howard’s near post.
Aguero then departed and with Yaya Toure now free to attack while Fernandinho held back with Javi Garcia, City had more solidity. Now it was Everton struggling to keep up and Martinez conceded the change disrupted their plan. On 43 minutes James Milner sent in a looping cross for Edin Dzeko, who rose far above any competing defender and, with neck muscles straining, he produced a header of power and grace which was perfectly directed into the bottom corner.
Barkley would not give up the fight, producing a superb run and pass for Naismith just after half time that appeared set for equaliser, inducing the save that proved so decisive from Hart. For within minutes City had put some distance between themselves and their opponents. Samir Nasri was the protagonist, toying with Stones in the box before delivering a neat cross for Dzeko, who had again found space, to turn the ball in for 3-1 on 49 minutes.
Busy: Ross Barkley (left) tangles with Gael Clichy as he looks to break up a City attack
Delay: Dzeko went down with a shoulder injury in the second half which caused six minutes of stoppage time
City could sense the coronation now but Martinez responded, reverting to a back four. And when his side responded on 65 minutes, they looked like the old-fashioned English Everton. Baines sent a cross from the left and Romelu Lukaku met it, heading in off the post.
Vincent Kompany protested that Naismith had drifted offside but to no avail. Off came Yaya Toure, another blow, and City appeared vulnerable once more.
There were twenty five minutes to play and plenty that could go wrong. Ultimately though, despite Barkley’s energy and mazy Gerard Deloufeu run at the end, Everton’s season ran out of momentum. By contrast, City’s is just gathering itself for a final celebration.
My ball: James McCarthy (right) beats Toure to the ball during a tame first half
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