Live Blog

Fulltime Thoughts - It was always going to be a huge ask to get a positive result at Man City after blowing every other chance of making Europe in the last two months. Season’s over, we go again next season.

90+2’ - There’s the final whistle, Man City trample Everton and their Europa Conference League dreams 5-0. Enjoy your Sunday Blues.

90’ - No reason to add any time on eh Michael Oliver?
Well, there will be two minutes added on, and KdB finds Sterling with a chance to shoot, Pickford does very well again to foil him. Ball does come to Aguero in the box but Davies tackles him.

84’ - Holgate blocks a shot for a corner. It comes to Kun and Pickford saves well! Oh gee.

82’ - Aguero shooting chance from a narrow angle, Pickford saves well.

79’ - Richy goes off to boos from the home crowd, Niels Nkounkou is on now. He’s playing wide left midfield.

77’ - Fernandinho’s cross finds Aguero completely alone between Keane and Godfrey, he heads home at the near post, no chance for Pickford. 5-0 now.

74’ - Ferran Torres comes on for Jesus. No letting up from Pep.

71’ - As expected, Aguero gets his farewell goal to a big roar. Fernandinho nicks the ball off Davies just outside the box, finds Kun who dummies Holgate then stabs home at the far post.

68’ - Everton freekick is cleared and City can break, comes to a free Jesus on the right and he blazes over.

65’ - Sergio Aguero comes on with much fanfare and pomp. Deserved, an incredible striker.
Bernard also summarizes his time in England there, nipping the ball in a good spot and then easily shoved off it.
Iwobi finds Richy with a lovely ball but before he can shoot Ederson is out to gather with Stones pressing him.

62’ - That pretty much sums up Everton’s attack. Richarlison with a good run, feeds in DCL but he is nudged off the ball before he can shoot.

56’ - Blues win a corner that is cleared all the way back to Pickford. Doucoure has gone off now with Alex Iwobi on, while City replace Foden with Rodri. Sigurdsson also coming off with Bernard on now.

53’ - Foden gets his goal, 3-0 City now. Jesus left Allan for dead, found Sterling who laid it up for Foden to slide home. Eek.

52’ - Jesus waltzes through three players, Foden’s shot is blocked by Keane for a corner.
Corner comes to Dias who shoots straight at Pickford and the goalie gathers.

49’ - Everton attack, Sig has space to shoot from about 30 yards out but mishits it completely. Yuck.
Godfrey pressure wins a corner that Digne takes, cleared,

47’ - Foden smart to stay out of Godfrey’s way as the defender comes sliding in for a heavy tackle. Sigurdsson bounces a cross off KdB’s face for a corner that is cleared.

46’ - Second half is now underway, no changes for either side. Holgate and Godfrey have switched positions however.

Halftime Thoughts - The Blues have shown some fortitude with coming back into this game after a horrendous start. They’ve had chances to score too, will need to see a lot more of this in the second half.

Everton have slipped into tenth with current results holding as Spurs are holding Leicester 1-1, Arsenal are 0-0 against Brighton and Leeds lead West Brom 2-0.

45+2’ - Lovely throughball from KdB to Sterling and Pickford out in a flash to collect.
There’s the halftime whistle.

44’ - Mahrez almost gets his customary goal against Everton, clatters it off the bar! No chance for any Everton players there.
There will be two minutes added on.

43’ - Two strong Everton shouts there. First Stones bundles over DCL, but Oliver says no. Richy pounces on the rebound but Ederson is out quick.
Then Richy has a chance again to shoot and it looks like it goes off Dias’ arm, but they were right by his side and that’s no penalty.

38’ - The City fans screaming ‘Cheat! Cheat!’ at Richarlison was pretty ironic but unfortunately they did have the last laugh.

35’ - Richy breaks and is then hauled down by Ruben Dias and Ederson combined. Oliver says no red card with the double jeopardy rule, but it is a penalty with the defender booked, the VAR check is complete.
Sigurdsson to take, Ederson does well to save, Richy’s rebound is blocked for a corner. Argh. Not a good penalty, not low and not in the corner.
Sig’s corner is cleared then hooked over by Digne.

33’ - Allan finds Richarlison in the box and Stones blocks his shot for a corner. Cleared and City break through KdB, but Digne does well to chase and tackle him.

29’ - First Everton attack in a while is a long throw from the right that is easily cleared. City can break, and Godfrey has to cut out a Zinchenko cross for a corner.
Taken short, blocked by Godfrey for another corner. The Blues can break through Digne and Doucoure, but the midfielder runs out of real estate.

22’ - Phil Foden curls around Holgate and the defender slides into him to earn a booking right by the byline. KdB’s low freekick is blocked and finds its way back to him, and then Pickford saves his low shot, and the rebound is cleared.

20’ - Everton have without fail bottled it every time there has been something to play for this season, and so far today they’ve lived up to that spineless reputation.
Allan gets raked by KdB’s studs, and the Brazilian is not pleased at all, giving the City player an earful. Won’t it be unfortunate now if Allan clatters de Bruyne with the Champions League final next weekend.

19’ - Feels like Everton have not had the ball in the City half for close to ten minutes now. Bad backpass from Godfrey is cleared for a throw by Pickford. The Toffes really could be in for a big beating today.

14’ - Defensive breakdown as Michael Keane tries to dribble through three City players. CIty break three-on-one, Jesus dummies past Ben Godfrey and slots home easily. 2-0 now, game over.

11’ - The first goal in today’s full slate of ten games belongs to Man City. De Bruyne picks up the ball unmarked on the Everton right, he slots home in the far corner, no chance for Pickford. Too easy.

7’ - Oof, Richarlison tugs back a breaking Riyad Mahrez and is booked very early by Michael Oliver. Mahrez’ freekick is headed over by former Blue John Stones.

5’ - Lovely break for Everton as Sig finds DCL behind the backline, his shot from a narrow angle is parried by Ederson.
Now Kevin de Bruyne finds Gabriel Jesus in a similar position, Jordan Pickford out smartly to block. The corner is partly cleared and then Pickford flaps at it before it’s cleared.

4’ - The first Everton attack results in a weak Sigurdsson shot straight at Ederson.

3’ - That new away kit does look sharp.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

1’ - Gylfi Sigurdsson gets us started.

Well, so much for Pep fielding a weakened lineup ahead of the Champions League final next weekend. Everton are going to have no favours today from anyone it seems, so if they are to make Europe, they are going to have to do it on their own mentality and strength. Looks like we’re going to be going with a straight 4-4-2.

Personally I would love to make Europe even if it’s just the Europa Conference League. However, we’ve made getting there harder on ourselves with key duds in the last couple of months and that’s why I’m trying hard not to have any expectations today.

Lineups

Sergio Aguero will make his last appearance at the Etihad today, while Ancelotti is missing Yerry Mina again, so Mason Holgate is in as is Tom Davies.

Everton

Pickford, Holgate, Godfrey, Keane, Digne, Allan, Davies, Doucoure, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Virginia, Olsen, Iwobi, Nkounkou, Bernard, Gomes, Coleman, John

Man City

Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (C), Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden, Sterling, Jesus

Subs | Steffen, Aké, Gündogan, Agüero, Laporte, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Torres, Mendy

Preview

The task in front of Everton seems pretty clear - achieve a better result than Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and get into the Europa Conference League. More simply, just win and hope results in other games fall your way. That is easier said than done though when you’re playing the newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City on their own turf, with fans in the stands for the first time this season.

The Toffees have come up short pretty much at every time of asking this season, so the more heart-hardened of us supporters will not be holding our breath that Everton can get the job done, but it’s always the hope that kills you.

Pep Guardiola’s City can be forgiven if their attention will be elsewhere on Sunday. They play in their first ever Champions League final this coming Saturday against Chelsea, the side that knocked them out of the FA Cup semifinals to end their dream of the unprecedented quadruple. It will be interesting to see how many of the regular starters Pep will field against Everton, especially with how deep a squad City has.

Match Details

Competition: Premier League Matchday 38

Date and start time: Sunday, May 23rd at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m ET / 4:00 p.m. BST

Stadium: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 10,000

Weather: 53°F/12°C, light rain, 86% chance of precipitation, 17 mph winds

How to Watch/Listen

TV: Peacock, CNBC - United States; Sky Sports Premier League - United Kingdom; DAZN - Canada, beIN Sports Premium 3, SuperSport 14, SuperSport MaXimo 2, ESPN2 Sur

Radio: evertontv, BBC Radio Manchester

Live stream: Fubo, NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com, Sky GO Extra, ESPN Play Sur, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP

Gamethread: Live blog above starting one hour before game time

*Royal Blue Mersey has affiliate partnerships and may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links provided.

Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

Last Meeting

The Blues hosted City twice recently at Goodison, losing 2-0 in the FA Cup quarter finals and before that 3-1 in the league. Both times City controlled the game before pulling away with goals in the second half.

Everton’s last trip to Etihad was on New Year’s Day 2020, with a 2-1 loss to the hosts the result. The last time the Toffees won at City was over a decade ago, December 2010 to be precise with a 2-1 victory with goals from Tim Cahill and Leighton Baines.