EPL Day 7: Jesus, Mahrez and Sterling CLOSE Liverpool EIGHT point lead after cutting Everton's Hopes - Everton 1 - 3 City

Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling goals help Manchester City to close down the eight point gap by Liverpool’s City recorded a win against Everton at the Goodison Park on Saturday evening.

Guardiola made four changes from City’s 8-0 win over Watford, most notably Jesus in for Aguero. Elsewhere Zinchenko, Gundogan and Sterling came in for Mendy, David Silva and Bernardo Silva.

 

 

Everton made two changes as Calvert-Lewin and Walcott came in for Bernard and Kean. 

 

 

Theo Walcott was stretched off in the early minutes after he was hit by Sterling’s cross in the 3-minute. Alex Iwobi was put on after a lengthy delay before the former Arsenal man was stretched off the pitch.

 

 

City conjured their magic on the host and almost hit the first goal on the evening. Gundogan slapped the underneath of the crossbar from a brilliant Mahrez cross but another fine pass from De Bruyne found the Algerian who fired at the feet of Pickford.

Guardiola’s side dominated the game and pressed the Toffees into their half and hit them with the crosses.  Everton came forward for the first time in the 23-minute as Delph robbed De Bruyne to set up Iwobi. Digne was there on the over-lap and the pull-back was met by Sigurdsson. Fernandinho was in the right place to make an important block.

City finally notched home the opener in another another word-class ball from Kevin De Bruyne that was headed in from Gabriel Jesus.

 

 

The Brazilian showed Pep Guardiola why he was right in selecting him as he lost Seamus Coleman at the far post to head into the ground and past Pickford. It's was his 49th goal for City and fifth in five games against Everton.

 

 

Everton responded in the 32-minute through Calvert-Lewin. Iwobi played a big role as he managed to squeeze his pass to Seamus Coleman under pressure from Fernandinho. Coleman lifted the ball over Ederson from a tight angle with the ball having crossed the line before Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed into the net.

 

 

Iwobi nearly added Everton’s second three minutes later. The Nigerian won possession and he brilliantly picked out Sigurdsson through the middle. The Icelandic elected to go at this with his boot rather than his head and the chance went begging as Ederson gathered.

Mahrez put the Champions back in the game in the 71-minute. It was not the best strike in the world from the Algerian and that came at Pickford on his side as the ball went under his hand and nestled in the far corner.

The Toffees pressed City for the leveler, which almost yielded a result in 76-minute. Sigurdsson sparkled upfront after collecting ball from a beautiful set up, he found the run of Calvert-Lewin but Ederson was quickly out in his face to make a vital save with his feet for a corner. Sigurdsson's corner lacked pace but it was perfectly directed towards goal by Mina. Ederson clawed it away on the goal line and Calvert-Lewin could not sort his feet out as he shined the rebound wide.

Bernardo Silva replaced Kevin De Bruyne as Schneiderlin made way for Tom Davies to take over.

 

 

Raheem Sterling scored City’s third to put the game to bed five minutes to full time. His shot from Sergio Aguero deflected a yard over the line but Michael Oliver looked at his watch and awarded the goal. 

After his earlier miss, on his 200th appearance for Manchester City, Sterling celebrated the 100th goal of his club career on his return to Merseyside.