CARLOS TEVEZ threw away his transfer request and kept the captain's armband — but Everton's heroic 10 men wrecked the Eastlands party.
Tim Cahill and Leighton Baines put Everton two up inside 19 minutes, and the Merseysiders even survived Victor Anichebe's 60th-minute sending off as City's multi-millionaires missed the chance to go top of the table.
Phil Jagielka's unlucky deflection off Yaya Toure's 71st-minute shot fired up City as the temperature plunged, but they go into Christmas looking up at neighbours United at the top of the Premiership.
City's misery was complete when Kolo Toure was sent off seconds from the end for a second bookable offence.
The script has been written written for Tevez to be welcomed back into the fold by adoring City fans after a day of drama.
Roberto Mancini's man needed a win to top the table on Christmas Day for the first time since 1929, but things went badly wrong as early as the fourth minute. Baines intercepted a Pablo Zabaleta pass intended for Tevez to set a move in motion that was to have an unlikely ending.
The visitors' chance appeared to have gone when Jack Rodwell chipped his shot at City keeper Joe Hart. Everton won the ball back quickly and got City's defence into a real tangle as Baines crossed from the left. Kolo Toure got his head to the ball and defensive partner Vincent Kompany clearly felt it was going out, the only explanation for him leaving the dangerous Cahill on his own.
When Seamus Coleman retrieved the ball and crossed to the near post, Cahill had ample time to nod home his ninth goal of the season from inside the six-yard box.
Misery piled up for City when Baines shot Everton into a two-goal lead in the 19th minute. It was a goal of stunning simplicity as Baines fed Victor Anichebe, who rolled the ball into the box for Cahill.
His lay-off was perfect for Baines, who beat Hart with a brilliant curling right-footed shot from just inside the area.
Furious Mancini could not contain his feelings, kicking water bottles over in anger as his expensively-assembled team stumbled deeper into trouble.
Desperate City took the hint and launched a ferocious assault on the Everton goal. Six well-struck shots brought half a dozen equally brave blocks, none of them by Tim Howard, who was protected by a ring of blue.
But Howard was called into action to save superbly from Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kick.
Everton were right to expect an all-out assault from City after the break, but Victor Anichebe did nothing to help the cause when he was sentn off on the hour for a second bookable offence. The exasperated look on Everton manager David Moyes' face said it all as the Toffees faced 30 long minutes of protecting their lead.
The breakthrough came in the 71st minute when Yaya Toure's shot was defelected past Howard by Jagielka.
On 77 minutes, Mario Balotelli seemed set to equalise when he found himself one-on-one with Howard only to poke the ball against the piost in a massive let-off for Everton. Tevez then missed with his follow-up attempt.
City's last hope came in the four minutes of time added on when Tevez unleashed a storming shot which Howard somehow managed to push over the bar as Everton held out for victory.
0 comentários:
Postar um comentário