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Manchester City’s disappointing form continued as they dropped two more points after a 1-1 draw with Everton on Boxing Day. Erling Haaland’s penalty miss proved costly, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side sixth in the Premier League table at the end of 2024.
City dominated possession throughout the match, and their pressure paid off as they raced into an early lead with 15 minutes on the clock, Jeremy Doku cut in from the left and played a pass in behind for Bernardo Silva to flick beyond Jordan Pickford and give City the lead. They pushed for a second goal, with Haaland rounding Pickford but seeing his shot blocked by Jarrad Branthwaite.
Bernardo Silva had another opportunity to double the lead after Haaland and Phil Foden linked up on the edge of the box, but his shot flew just wide of the far post. Despite City’s dominance, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye caught them off guard with a precise shot from 15 yards out, leveling the score before halftime.
In the second half, City continued to pile on the pressure, with Savinho causing problems for the Everton defense. Haaland had a golden opportunity to put City ahead when he was awarded a penalty after being fouled by Vitaliy Mykolenko. However, his penalty was saved by Pickford, and when the rebound was crossed in, Haaland’s header was ruled out for offside.
Everton rallied and could have taken the lead themselves when Abdoulaye Doucoure’s volley was deflected inches wide of Stefan Ortega Moreno’s post. The match ended frantically, with both teams attacking at pace but lacking the finishing touch to take all three points.
As a result, City moved up just one place to fifth in the table as their dreadful run of late stretched to one win in 13 games, while Sean Dyche’s side are now 15th after another impressive result on the road.
