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

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 having exploded to life late against Everton they seized control of their Champions League destiny on the other. Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic sealed a win that even Pep Guardiola may not have seen coming to keep City on course for a 15th successive season among the European elite.

A goalless draw appeared the most likely outcome for much of a pedestrian contest, but a late surge, shaped by the contrasting impact of substitutes, allowed City to dominate and secure a ninth consecutive win here. Aston Villa’s visit to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday represents a hugely significant moment in a troubled season for Guardiola and his team.

“A big win, massively important,” the City manager said. “We are miles away from Liverpool and Arsenal, but tonight we sleep fourth and we will see what happens to Villa, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Chelsea. Now it is in our hands.

“We need a final on Tuesday. Three games at home, two away and hopefully we can achieve this big success to qualify for the Champions League.”

A finale in which City substitutes Jérémy Doku and Kovacic flourished while the Everton subs Michael Keane, Carlos Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam floundered was out of context with everything that had gone before. City dominated possession early on, but without urgency, intensity, movement and ideas of how to break a well-drilled Everton defence their first half performance was tedious in the extreme. The referee, Simon Hooper, was not the most popular figure inside Goodison, but he deserved a medal for adding three seconds on to the end of the opening period.

The best, and only real, chance of the first half fell to Everton. 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 Jake O’Brien could pounce on the rebound.

Tarkowski pulled up with a hamstring injury early in the second half and was crestfallen as he was helped off the pitch. It could prove to be the Everton captain’s final appearance here depending on the severity of the injury. It proved a turning point.

“For 60-odd minutes I thought we were OK and we gave them a game,” said David Moyes. “Tarky coming off made a big change in the game. It shouldn’t have, but it did. You could feel it. Man City sensed it as well.”

Everton started the second half strongly. Ortega saved 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 and Gvardiol made an important block as Abdoulaye Doucouré attempted to capitalise. Doucouré was also foiled by Ortega when he aimed for the top corner.

Tarkowski’s departure and an unconvincing display by his replacement, Keane, tilted the contest back in City’s favour. He was booked within three minutes of his introduction for a late challenge on Omar Marmoush and was badly off the pace.

Marmoush and Ilkay Gündogan tested Jordan Pickford as City again dominated possession, only now with purpose. Marmoush brushed Keane aside to go through on goal, but the Everton keeper saved well.

After Alcaraz wasted a promising Everton break with a dreadful pass, Bernardo Silva released Nunes to the byline. The converted right-back fired low across the face of Everton’s six-yard box and O’Reilly, City’s converted left-back, appeared between Keane, Branthwaite and Pickford to fire home.

In injury time, the impressive Doku found Gündogan, who teed up Kovacic 20 yards out. The substitute slipped but was able to steer a powerful finish into the bottom corner.

Evertonians had sportingly applauded off Kevin De Bruyne when he was substituted on his final Goodison appearance. The strength of City’s bench made all the difference.