Manchester City left it late but secured a well-earned 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, thanks to a pair of second-half goals from academy talent Nico O’Reilly and a stunning injury-time strike by Mateo Kovacic.
In a contest that tested City’s patience and Everton’s resilience, the deadlock was finally broken in the 84th minute. Matheus Nunes delivered a delightful cross into the box which found 19-year-old O’Reilly in space. The youngster made no mistake, firing home his first senior goal to put the visitors ahead.
City sealed the points two minutes into stoppage time, courtesy of a moment of magic from Kovacic. After a smart short corner routine, Ilkay Gundogan teed up the Croatian midfielder on the edge of the box. Kovacic struck a first-time effort with clinical precision, driving the ball into the bottom-left corner past a despairing Jordan Pickford, who had earlier made several key saves to keep Everton in the game.
The match, which saw a flurry of yellow cards and injury disruptions, was marked by a heated moment in the 90th minute when Pickford was booked for dissent after exchanging words with the referee.
Pep Guardiola’s side controlled much of the possession, commanding 67% of the ball and creating multiple chances, with Kevin De Bruyne and Savinho testing Pickford in both halves. Everton’s best opportunity came in the 31st minute when James Tarkowski’s bullet header crashed against the post.
Injuries further dented Everton’s chances, as Tarkowski was forced off in the second half, compounding the absence of Jack Harrison, who had to be substituted following a knock earlier.
Despite a spirited effort from Sean Dyche’s men, they failed to find a way past Stefan Ortega, who pulled off crucial saves to deny Abdoulaye Doucouré and Jarrad Branthwaite.