Everton’s brave hour undone by Haaland’s double in a game of margins

For close to an hour at the Etihad, Everton’s plan worked. Iliman Ndiaye stretched Manchester City, the press bit, and the visitors carved the clearer chances. Then two clinical interventions from Erling Haaland—on 58 and 63 minutes—turned a commendable display into a 2-0 defeat that will sting because of how well David Moyes’ side competed.

Ndiaye was electric, Beto continually threatening the near-post channels, and Jordan Pickford excellent at the other end. Yet the game pivoted on a pair of actions down City’s left: a Nico O’Reilly cross perfectly headed in and a Savinho cut-back, nicked off James Tarkowski, swept home. Everton leave with regrets, but also with plenty to build on.

Ndiaye’s spark sets the tone

The visitors arrived on a high after their late win over Crystal Palace and it showed. Nathan Aké’s errant pass was intercepted by Ndiaye, who glided down the right and squared across goal; Beto was a whisker away from turning it in with Donnarumma stranded. The Senegal forward later danced infield and unleashed a rising shot that the goalkeeper tipped over.

There were heart-in-mouth moments too. From a Phil Foden corner, defender Jake O’Brien’s attempt to clear cannoned off his own crossbar. But beyond that aberration, Everton’s structure held firm and their counterpunches had menace, with Beto twice close to breaking City’s line—once slipped through by Ndiaye before the flag went up.

Two ruthless finishes decide it

City needed a moment of precision to break Everton’s resistance and found it on 58 minutes. Foden released O’Reilly down the left and the delivery was perfect; Haaland attacked the penalty spot and powered a header past Pickford. It was City’s first truly clean look at goal and it told.

Five minutes later, the left flank undid Everton again. Foden fed Savinho, now operating wide, and his cut-back clipped Tarkowski before reaching Haaland, who swept in the second. Two chances, two conversions—the difference on a day when Everton matched most of the game’s demands but were punished for the slightest breather.

What might have been: appeals and saves

At 1-0, James Garner’s effort struck the hand of the newly introduced Bernardo Silva, prompting loud appeals. Referee Tony Harrington declined to award a penalty, a flashpoint that could have reshaped the final half-hour.

Pickford did his part to keep the contest alive, beating away Doku in the first half and twice standing tall in added time to thwart Haaland’s hat-trick bid. Earlier, Savinho had also been denied, and the woodwork had intervened via O’Brien’s miscue. The margins were thin; City, with Haaland, made them count.

Moyes’ verdict and the bigger picture

Moyes admitted he told Haaland he wished the striker had been “somewhere else,” and praised his near-unstoppable one-v-one threat. The result extends Everton’s winless league run against City to 17 games and lengthens Moyes’ wait for a victory over a side who finished in last season’s top three.

There are positives. Ndiaye looked the best player on the pitch in the first half, as Moyes suggested, and the defensive shape largely held until those two decisive moments. But the need for end-product remains: Beto and Thierno Barry have one goal between them this season, and Everton sit in mid-table on 11 points. On this evidence, the building blocks are there—now the finishing touch has to follow.