Manchester City’s struggles continued with a 1-1 draw against struggling Everton at the Etihad Stadium, as Erling Haaland’s second-half penalty miss proved costly.
City, winners of the last four Premier League titles, have now won just once in their last 13 matches across all competitions. Despite an early goal from Bernardo Silva, the English champions couldn’t hold on to their lead, with Iliman Ndiaye’s strike salvaging a point for Everton.
The draw had City drop to seventh, a worrying situation given their ambitions. Meanwhile, Everton moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a crucial point, climbing to 15th.
Pep Guardiola admitted ahead of the game that his side risks missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 15 years, with the top four finishing positions automatically securing a spot. Guardiola expressed concern over the team’s current form, saying, “Now we are at risk, of course we are. Definitely.”
City’s frustration was evident as they failed to build on an early lead. Silva’s goal in the 14th minute, following a clever assist from Jeremy Doku, was initially a positive moment for City. But they soon squandered other opportunities, including Silva missing a one-on-one chance to make it 2-0, with his shot past Jordan Pickford going wide.
Instead, Everton struck back. A defensive error allowed Ndiaye to control the ball and fire a stunning shot into the top corner for the equalizer.
Despite dominating possession, City struggled to convert chances, with Pickford denying several efforts in the second half, including one from Savinho. Their frustrations mounted when Haaland missed a penalty, sending his spot-kick low to Pickford’s right, and was unable to score from the rebound after a Gvardiol header.
Haaland’s struggles continued, as he has now gone four matches without scoring, and has found the net just once in his last seven outings. Guardiola acknowledged the team’s growing reliance on Haaland, noting that the striker’s current form cannot be blamed for the team’s overall slump.
Everton’s defensive resilience under Sean Dyche kept them in the game, with their goalkeeper Pickford making key saves. Dyche was cautious of City’s attacking threat, stating, “At some point, they will hurt someone, but I felt we handled it well.”
It nearly got worse for City in stoppage time as Everton counter-attacked with a four-on-two advantage, but Jack Harrison’s shot was blocked, and the visitors were forced to settle for a draw.
