Manchester City moved to within three points of league leaders Chelsea courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Everton at the Etihad Stadium this evening.
Yaya Toure got the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Phil Jagielka was penalised for bringing down James Milner inside the box.
The victory was tinged with concern for the hosts, however, as Sergio Aguero was forced off the field with an injury in the opening minutes.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at an intriguing 90 minutes in Manchester.
Match statistics
MAN CITY
Shots: 19
On target: 3
Possession: 51%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 8
EVERTON
Shots: 9
On target: 2
Possession: 49%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Yes. The number of shots on target today speaks volumes about the standard of the match, with both sides seemingly affected by the early stoppage and unable to really get into their stride. Neither City or Everton were at their best, and there was a telling lack of quality in the final third at times.
However, City did threaten on more occasions than Everton, creating the better chances and just about edging possession. A draw would not have been terribly unjust on the champions, but they did enough to gain all three points. The same can certainly not be said for Everton, who created just one decent chance throughout the 90 minutes.
The match did begin to get a bit more open as time wore on, and in the end City were rather hanging on a little towards the final whistle. However, even when Everton were applying late pressure they struggled to find a way through the hosts, who dealt with the Toffees comfortably on the whole.
Man City's performance
To lose Aguero so early in the match was a massive blow for City on the day and, depending on the severity of the injury, could be a big moment in the season. His absence was certainly felt as City struggled to really show the sort of form that had inspired them to four consecutive good wins.
However, the most important thing today, given Chelsea's earlier slip-up, was the result, and they got that. They were forced to grind it out and it wasn't pretty at times, but at the end of the day they are now just three points adrift of the league leaders. It is a cliche that the sign of champions is to win when not playing well, and that is what City did today.
They may well have now taken the initiative in the title race, although much could depend on exactly how long Aguero is out for. With Vincent Kompany and David Silva also sidelined for today's game, the injuries are beginning to mount at a bad time for City. Manuel Pellegrini won't be ecstatic with his side's performance here, but those three points will certainly please him, and they will be even sweeter if positive news comes back on Aguero.
Everton's performance
City seemed understandably deflated by the injury to Aguero, but the stoppage also seemed to affect Everton. The Toffees never really got going today and failed to get at a City defence that was without its leader in Kompany. Eliaquim Mangala was shown an early yellow card, yet the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Samuel Eto'o didn't attempt to get at a defender who has already proven himself to be error prone.
Indeed, those front two only combined effectively once in the entire match, with Lukaku unfortunate to see his effort saved by Joe Hart. Aside from that moment, they offered very little in the final third. The whole team's build-up play was often laboured and lacked the tempo needed to really test the City defence.
The hosts were there for the taking to a certain extent today, and an Everton in top form may have got something out of this game. However, they were far short of their best and can have no complaints at coming away with nothing. They remain in the bottom half of the table, and things are beginning to get a little worrying for Roberto Martinez now.
Sports Mole's man of the match
James Milner: City needed someone to step up in the absence of Aguero and, while Toure got the goal, it was Milner who really shone today. He made a number of runs behind the defence to create chances for his teammates, while also winning the penalty that brought the only goal of the game.
Biggest gaffe
Jagielka may consider himself unfortunate to have given away the penalty but, while it was a soft decision, the veteran Everton defender should have known better. He made contact with Milner when the City midfielder was going nowhere, and that gave the referee a decision to make. At the very least, it was a clumsy challenge from the England man.
Referee performance
Andre Marriner had a difficult game today, and he didn't cope with it too well. You can see why he gave the penalty, but it was a soft one and he actually booked Ross Barkley for diving following a similar incident in the second half. There could also be questions over his consistency after he let some things go but then booked another player for a very similar offence.
What next?
Man City: City turn their attention to Europe now, and a must-win clash with Roma in the Champions League is next up on Wednesday.
Everton: Everton, meanwhile, are also in continental action, but they have already qualified in the Europa League so can afford to rest players when Krasnodar visit Goodison Park on Thursday.
Barney Corkhill
