ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — Iliman Ndiaye struck another blow against Manchester City’s brittle confidence as Everton went in all-square at the break in the Premier League’s early Boxing Day kickoff.
Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions had lost nine of their past 12 games across all competitions but started with plenty of verve and led in the 14th minute when Bernardo Silva slid home Jeremy Doku’s pass via a deflection off Jarrad Branthwaite.
Silva, captaining City as Kyle Walker sat out this one through illness to compound a weighty absentees list, should have doubled the lead after the half-hour when Phil Foden set him up to drive a venomous shot past the post.
As they have so often during their ongoing slump, Guardiola’s team were made to pay for their profligacy. Manuel Akanji and Rico Lewis were unable to deal with a cross Abdoulaye Doucoure had an age to make and Ndiaye produced a delightful finish with the outside of his right boot.
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Man City vs. Everton score
| 2nd Half | Goalscorers | |
| Man City | 1 | Silva 14′ |
| Everton | 1 | Ndiaye 36′ |
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Referee: Simon Hooper
Keep track of every game and every goal via SN’s live Premier League scoreboard
Lineups:
Man City (3-2-4-1, right to left): 18. Stefan Ortega (GK) — 25. Manuel Akanji, 6. Nathan Ake, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 82. Rico Lewis, 8. Mateo Kovacic — 26. Savinho, 20. Bernardo Silva, 47. Phil Foden, 11. Jeremy Doku (17. Kevin De Bruyne) — 9. Erling Haaland
Everton (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Jordan Pickford (GK) — 23. Seamus Coleman, 6. James Tarkowski, 32. Jarrad Branthwaite, 19. Vitaliy Mykolenko — 8. Orel Mangala, 27. Idrissa Gueye, 16. Abdoulaye Doucoure — 11. Jack Harrison, 9. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (22. Armando Broja), 10. Iliman Ndiaye
Man City vs. Everton live updates, highlights, and commentary
90+4 mins: Foden looks to flip a ball over the Everotn defence. Branthwaite deals with it and Foden makes absolutely sure Broja won’t break by almost pulling his shorts down. A slapstick booking.
90+3 mins: Everton break. Here’s Gueye. His cross is deflected behind. Offside. Stand down. City have the ball again.
90+1 mins: Lewis lets from from outside the box but it’s over.
90 mins: Six added minutes for either team to find a winner as Everton clear another City corner.
87 mins: Branthwaite clatters through Savinho, advantage played but De Bruyne can’t make the cross with Haaland and Foden queueing up.
85 mins: Simpson-Pusey and Gundogan on for Ake and Kovacic for City.
83 mins: ALMOST 2-1 TO EVERTON! A thundering strike from Mangala takes a wicked deflection and flies wide with Ortega rooted. The corner is deep towards Tarkowski and teh City goalkeeper claims his header.
76 mins: Branthwaite makes a brilliant and vital tackle on Haaland on halfway but he’s down in pain. It looked like City’s No. 9 inadvertently trod on him. Quite frankly, that an awful lot of human to put their weight on you.
74 mins: Gvardiol has a shot blocked from outside the box. That looked like a team running out of ideas. Handily for City, here comes Kevin De Bruyne – a man with plenty of them. His compatriot Jeremy Doku makes way. Looks like Foden will come out to play on the left wing.
69 mins: Almost 2-1 to Everton! A well-constructed break ends with Harrison’s cross finding Doucoure, who back-post effort is deflected behind by Lewis. The corner is absolutely rubbish and almost goes out for a throw. The excellent Calvert-Lewin makes way for Broja. The City fans sing for Kevin De Bruyne.
68 mins: Haaland grapples successfully with Branthwaite to keep a City attack alive. Lewis slides a pass towards the No. 9 but he’s not on the same wavelength.
66 mins: Foden finds Haaland in the box but again he lacks his usual conviction. They come again but Savinho duffs a tame shot over the far post. City are playing well despite grappling with their own vanishing self-belief. It all makes for quite compelling viewing.
64 mins: Ake makes a brilliant last-ditch take as Calvert-Lewin looks to dart through on goal. This game is being played more and more in transitions and that suits Everton.
63 mins: Kovacic shoots but it’s blocked because he wanted too many touches.
61 mins: Doku goes on a FIFA dribble entirely outside of this game’s context and pierces into the Everton box. They scramble away as far as Silva, whose shot is blocked.
60 mins: Savinho seems to want Mykolenko for a second Christmas lunch. He wins a corner off the beleaguered full-back. Gvardiol prods over at the near post on the volley. Kevin De Bruyne is warming up.
58 mins: Tarkowski fouls Silva and that’s a bit of a waste from an Everton point of view.
57 mins: Nice combination play from Ndiaye and Calvert-Lewin. Ake is equal to it. Everton corner.
53 mins: PICKFORD SAVES!!!!!!!!! The shot is hard and low but not in the corner and Pickford saves down to his right. The punchline for City? Savinho gets to the rebound, diverts it across goal for Haaland to head home… he’s offside.
51 mins: PENALTY TO CITY! Mykolenko has been on the waltzers against Savinho all afternoon and brings him down. No second booking, Haaland to take.
50 mins: Silva wins a corner and takes it quickly. Haaland up at the back post, falls to Savinho… brilliant save from Pickford with his boot. Now Kovacic… just wide.
49 mins: Haaland gets up to Savinhos latest cross but can only nod across goal. City camped around the Everton box.
47 mins: Gvardiol gets a glancing touch on Foden’s latest corner but Everton are able to hack out of the goalmouth.
Kickoff: 2nd Half
Silva who opened the scoring, gets us back underway. The next goal in this one feels huge.
Halftime
Gvardiol blocks Harrison’s cross behind with his face. Not pleasant on a cold day. Calvert-Lewin heads over and that’s that. City have been pretty good here, have gone ahead again but are no longer winning. The sort of stuff that gnaws at a the confidence of a team in their predicament and Everton have definitely warmed to their task.
45 mins: Kovacic…Haaland…Foden! Coleman slides in heroically. Another corner. This one is straight into Pickford’s gloves. We’ll have one added minute.
44 mins: The ball falls to Savinho from the set piece, who hits a rasping one that’s blocked.
43 mins: Free-kiock into the wall. Akanji lumps a dicey pass to Lewis, who does well to keep his cool. Forward come the hosts again. Coleman thwarts Doku, now it’s another corner.
42 mins: Brainless from Everton as a free-kick is clumped from halfway, Haaland wins the header and Silva releases Doku. He’s fouled on the edge of the box by Mykolenko, who’s booked. Foden over it.
41 mins: Ndiaye now gets all the way back to the left-back position and does as good a job of defending Savinho as anyone has today. He’s had some five minutes.
40 mins: Everton come forward again, sensing the suffocating nervousness inside the Etihad. Ndiaye drives across goal but it comes to nought.
36 mins: GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!! Iliman Ndiaye!!!!!!!!
And that’s what happens when you don’t take your chances! City deal with the initial cross from Coleman but Everotn keep the attack alive. Doucoure’s cross gets a a faint touch from Akanji, which takes Lewis out of the equation and Ndiaye finds an accomplished finish for his third Premier League goal of the season and first since mid-October.
A special finish!
Iliman Ndiaye has Everton level at the Etihad! 👀#PLonPrime #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/RJhXeDq0YK
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
33 mins: OH, SHOULD BE 2-0 TO CITY! Haaland does well to collect a second ball, Foden squares to Silva, who is suddenly in oceans of space. He looks to drive a lavish outside-of-the-foot finish across Pickford, who looks on and pays and sees the ball whistle just past his left upright.
30 mins: Savinho on the charge again. He shoots this time as the Everton bodies converge and Pickford collects a looping ball near his goalline. It’s impressive from the Brazil winger but he still needs to be more decisive in the final third.
28 mins: Everton corner from very little. Ndiaye’s left-wing delivery is cleared at the near post. Gueye catches a shot sweetly from the edge of the box but Ortega is behind it all the way.
26 mins: Silva pings one over the Everton line for Haaland. He can’t quite get it under his spell and Pickford does superbly. That said, you sense that a Haaland anywhere near top form would have probably made it 2-0.
23 mins: Foden slips a pass through to Haaland. There’s maybe a bit too much on it, he rounds Pickford but the angle is then prohibitive and Branthwaite clears behind. Foden over the corner and Ake heads over at the near post.
21 mins: That’s what Ecerton want. Calvert-Lewin smartly chests down a long ball forward, brining the support attackers into play. Ndiaye lays the ball back to Mangala 25 yards out. The midfielder curls high and wide of the target.
19 mins: Foden over a City free-kick. He drops an absolutely doozy of a Christmas gift onto the six-yard line. Ribbon, glittery paper, all sorts. No one is there to convert.
14 mins: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!! Bernardo Silva!!!!!!
Doku pulls out to the touchline and plays a wall pass to Silva. A classic Guardiola team move. The Portugal midfielder’s scrapping qualities come to the fore as a he slides with the hulking Branthwaite and diverts a finish beyond Pickford in to the far corner
13 mins: Savinho darting inside once more but he won’t cut the trigger, much to the crowd’s chagrin. At the other end, Gvardiol just played the hosts into a spot of bother, which gave Ake a chance to test his recently repaired hamstring. Something he may or may not appreciate.
12 mins: Lewis feeds Savinho, who leaves Mykolenko on his backside, The ball breaks for Haaland but onto his weaker right foot and the shot is blocked.
10 mins: This has perhaps predictably settled into attacks vs. defence, cat-and-mouse fayre. Everton packed behind the ball but their defensive line leaving just enough encouragement for City to try a little chip over for Haaland. Here’s one and Pickford gathers.
6 mins: Silva is twice careless in possession in midfield and Everton get away the second time. Calvert-Lewin can’t get on the end of Harrison’s searching cross as he is well marshalled by Akanji and Ake.
4 mins: Now some fancy footwork from Savinho before Pickford pouches his low cross. The home faithful provide a full-throated response.
3 mins: Both City full-backs are pegged wide, leaving Mateo Kovacic to deal with the base of the midfield alone. The Croatian does that tidily before Savinho has a shot blocked. Coleman concedes a corner. Taken short, Foden dinks a cross… Gvardiol heads against the post!
2 mins: Everton look to go direct when a City attack breaks down following Gvardiol’s misplaced pass but Calvert-Lewin is offside.
Kickoff: 1st Half
We just observed a minute’s silence for those associated with both clubs who have passed away during 2024, including ex-Everton striker Kevin Campbell and former City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. Everton to kickoff and Gueye gets us underway.
5 mins before kickoff: Here they come, out into the cold and drizzle. Can City warm their fans spirits with a much-needed win or are Everton about to frustrate another of the Premier League’s big hitters?
10 mins before kickoff: It’s a foul day in east Manchester. Kickoff not far away but plenty of fans in both the bome and away sections appear to be sheltering indoors until the last possible moment.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 26, 2024
30 mins before kickoff: Erling Haaland was pretty scathing of his own performances after City suffered their latest defeat at Aston Villa last time out. The big Norwegian has scored just three times in his past 12 Premier League games, while Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has kept five clean sheets in his past six matches to lead the Golden Glove standings. Haaland scored both goals as City battled to a 2-0 win over an obdurate Everton in this fixture last season and it feels inevitable that he and Pickford will have a key say over the destination of the points this afternoon.
1 hour before kickoff: Here’s the Everton side in full. Ashley Young’s suspension means a first start since August for club captain Seamus Coleman. Doku and Savinho each starting for City with their capacity to switch wings could mean a lively lunchtime for the veteran. I’m sure he’ll take it all in his stride.
Your Toffees to face @ManCity!
🔵 #MCIEVE pic.twitter.com/khQ4ayhIbK
— Everton (@Everton) December 26, 2024
1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in and City have more fitness woes. Jack Grealish has a minor injury and Kyle Walker is ill. Both are not involved. Nathan Ake is back from a hamstring straight and starts, which feels risky for his long-term fitness, but needs must. Savinho and Jeremy Doku each start on the wings to prospectively add a little more verve and service Erling Haaland with a working supply line.
Your Boxing Day City side 🩵
XI | Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo (C), Savinho, Foden, Doku, Haaland
SUBS | Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, McAtee#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/LsM0Awa77U
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 26, 2024
1 hr 25 mins before kickoff: The other side of that is that if Pep Guardiola could pick anyone to plonk in the opposition dugout to get him out of a slump, it would almost certainly be Sean Dyche. Of course, the City manager would never say that it loud and, in his programme notes for today’s game, discussed the toughness and threat his side will face from Everton in glowing terms.
However, his head-to-head with Dyche across the latter’s spells with Burnley and Everton reads P17 W16 D1 L0 with 52 goals scored. Some of those games were tight, such as City’s suffocatingly tense 1-0 win at Turf Moor during the 2018/19 title run-in, but some…weren’t. There are four 5-0s in this selection and a couple of 4-1s.
FULL-TIME Burnley 0-1 Man City
Sergio Aguero’s 20th #PL goal of the season gets the champions over the line and back on top of the table#BURMCI pic.twitter.com/JoemAmvYgb
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 28, 2019
1 hr 40 mins before kickoff: Everton boss Sean Dyche has seen his team shutout title-chasing Arsenal and Chelsea in their past two games. Unsurprisingly, he fancies the assignment against a City team who have become increasingly gunshy around the opposition box and brittle at the other end during their sapping slump. Speaking before the match, Dyche tapped into the creeping end-of-empire feel that has started to gather around the Etihad Stadium over these hard winter months.
You go there to win anyway but when the facts and stats start changing they add belief. That’s just the way sport works. If a team starts suffering a little bit then it adds belief to whoever is going there. Remember under Sir Alex when people went to Old Trafford? Even when they were down you would think they’d score in Fergie time. But once that started to break down a little bit people started to believe they could have a go. It’s not down to one team or one result, it’s down to that feel, and that is what changes. If we can capitalise on that then great, but it’s not that easy. They are still a top-class bunch of players.
2 hours before kickoff: Welcome to another blockbuster Boxing Day! Man City trained on Christmas Day in a bid to be primed and ready for the visit of Everton, with Guardiola and his players desperate for an upturn in performances and results.
💬 @ErlingHaaland‘s post-match reflection.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 21, 2024
Man City vs. Everton kick off time
The match kicks off in Manchester, UK at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Thurs, Dec. 26 | 7:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Thurs, Dec. 26 | 7:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Thurs, Dec. 26 | 12:30 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Thurs, Dec. 26 | 11:30 p.m. AEDT |
| India | Thurs, Dec. 26 | 6:00 p.m. IST |
Man City vs. Everton lineups, team news
City are without Ruben Dias and John Stones, meaning Nathan Ake (hamstring) is the latest man to be haphazardly rushed back into a light and creaking backline.
Goalkeeper Ederson missed the Villa Park trip — Guardiola said he did “not feel good” — and Matheus Nunes is also still out. They are joined on the sidelines by Kyle Walker (illness) and Jack Grealish (knock).
Kevin De Bruyne did not get off the bench last time out and is among the substitutes again, where he and Ilkay Gundogan account for almost all of the senior football experience at Guardiola’s disposla.
Man City lineup (3-2-4-1, right to left): Ortega (GK) — Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol — Lewis, Kovacic — Savinho, Silva, Foden, Doku — Haaland
Man City subs: Carson (GK), Brits (GK), De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, McAtee
Sean Dyche said last week that Timothy Iroegbunam and James Garner were “behind the curve” in their recoveries, and neither are likely to return until mid-January.
Dwight McNeil sat out the Chelsea draw with a knee issue, and is absent once more.. Armando Broja is back on the bench after being ineligible to face his parent club last time out.
Ashley Young is banned after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season last time out, meaning a first start since August for club captain Seamus Coleman.
Everton lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Pickford (GK) — Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko — Mangala, Gueye, Doucoure — Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, Ndiaye
Everton subs: Virginia (GK), Patterson, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Chermiti, Broja, Lindstrom, Armstrong
Man City vs. Everton live stream, TV channel
Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | USA Network, Universo | Fubo, NBC Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo Now |
| Canada | — | Fubo |
| UK | — | Amazon Prime |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Star Sports Select 1 | Disney+ Hotstar, JioTV |
