Erling Haaland missed a second-half penalty as Manchester City's Premier League plight continued with a 1-1 draw at home to a dogged Everton unit at the Etihad Stadium.
The Toffees' recent shut-outs against Arsenal and Chelsea counted for little early doors, as Bernardo Silva propelled Pep Guardiola's side ahead with an unorthodox finish, no less than the champions deserved for their lightning-fast start.
However, Sean Dyche's side defied their recent toothlessness on the road as a fine Iliman Ndiaye finish got the visitors back on level terms before the break, before Jordan Pickford remarkably saved a Haaland penalty early in the second period.
The Norwegian's rebound header was then ruled offside just to compound his misery, and for all of City's huffing and puffing in the second period, the misfiring holders were powerless against Dyche's drawing machine.
The 1-1 stalemate does take Guardiola's team back into the top six of the Premier League table, but they are now 11 points behind Liverpool having played two games more, while 15th-placed Everton now have a five-point gap to the drop zone.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© IconSport
Title race? Forget it. Top-four finish? In jeopardy. Those were Guardiola's assessments of Man City's likely outcomes for the end of the 2024-25 season before Dyche and his determined defence rocked up to the Etihad.
Breaking down the Toffees is a thankless task for any team - just ask Mikel Arteta or Enzo Maresca - but the champions-in-crisis briefly appeared destined to avoid the same fate thanks to Silva's sliced finish in the first half.
However, Akanji's dreadful attempt at a clearance and Lewis's even worse positioning gifted Ndiaye his leveller; take nothing away from the Senegal attacker's finish, but he should never have been afforded the time and space that he had.
If Liverpool win both of their games in hand, they will be 17 points clear of the reigning champions, who now have just one win in 13 games and can surely forget about any wafer-thin hopes of retaining their crown.
On the other side of the coin, Everton have now taken points off of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City over the winter period. Defence may not win the Toffees titles, but it may very well mean that they will not be playing Championship football in their first season at their new stadium.
MAN CITY VS. EVERTON HIGHLIGHTS
Bernardo Silva goal vs. Everton (14th min, Man City 1-0 Everton)
Perfectly-timed run, and a fortuitous Bernardo Silva finish! ⚽️🔵
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
Man City score the first goal of Boxing Day!#PLonPrime #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/Et0IRU7nyL
Neither Arsenal nor Chelsea could penetrate Everton's sturdy defence, but Guardiola's team have not suffered the same fate!
Silva makes an intelligent run to meet Jeremy Doku's threaded pass in the left-hand side of the box, and the Portuguese slides to deliver the ball to the back stick, where Savinho is waiting.
However, Silva's sliding cross instead goes under Jarrad Branthwaite and into the far side of the net! Unorthodox? Perhaps, but not ineffective.
Iliman Ndiaye goal vs. Man City (36th min, Man City 1-1 Everton)
A special finish!
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
Iliman Ndiaye has Everton level at the Etihad! 👀#PLonPrime #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/RJhXeDq0YK
A familiar sense of doom and gloom fills the Etihad once again! Abdoulaye Doucoure's poor cross should be meat and drink for one of Manuel Akanji or Rico Lewis, but both City defenders miss the ball.
However, Everton hotshot Ndiaye does not miss, quickly controlling the skewed delivery and executing a brilliant outside-of-the-foot finish into the top corner, leaving Stefan Ortega with no chance whatsoever.
Erling Haaland penalty miss vs. Everton (53rd min, Man City 1-1 Everton)
Erling Haaland 🆚 Jordan Pickford
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
Jordan Pickford WINS as Haaland misses from the spot!#PLonPrime #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/dbXtXdWsqS
Another new low ebb for the misfiring Haaland! Man City are awarded a penalty just a few minutes into the second half, as Vitaliy Mykolenko takes out Savinho inside the area.
After a deep breath and some customary antics from Pickford, Haaland goes to the Englishman's right, but Pickford guesses right and beats away the spot kick, which was a good height for him.
Josko Gvardiol got to the rebound and headed the ball back for Haaland to convert, but the offside flag immediately goes up. When it is not your day!
MAN OF THE MATCH - JORDAN PICKFORD
© Imago
Ndiaye's equaliser was exquisite, James Tarkowski stood tall all afternoon and Savinho was easily Man City's biggest threat, but penalty specialist Pickford rolled back the years to inject the visitors with a renewed sense of belief at the start of the second period.
As well as guessing correctly to deny Haaland from 12 yards, the England international made another three crucial saves, one high claim and one successful run-out to surely eliminate Man City from title contention completely.
MAN CITY VS. EVERTON MATCH STATS
Possession: Man City 66%-34% Everton
Shots: Man City 24-8 Everton
Shots on target: Man City 5-3 Everton
Corners: Man City 8-5 Everton
Fouls: Man City 5-10 Everton
BEST STATS
2017 - Today's Manchester City matchday squad is the first for a Premier League game to not feature at least one of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ederson or Jack Grealish since May 13 2017, a 2-1 win over Leicester. Absent.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2024
Jordan Pickford has now saved both of the penalties he has faced in the Premier League this season.
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 26, 2024
◉ vs. Anthony Gordon
◉ vs. Erling Haaland
It's his 7th penalty save in the competition. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/HRZX8A6KyZ
WHAT NEXT?
In their final game of 2024 before seeing in the New Year, mediocre Man City make the trip to Leicester City on December 29, and the champions then kick off 2025 at home to West Ham United on January 4.
Everton are also in action on both of those days, welcoming Nottingham Forest to Goodison Park on Sunday before travelling to Bournemouth in their first match of the New Year.
Ben Knapton
