Analysis: Manchester City

Pep Guardiola set his Manchester City team up in an attacking 4-3-3 structure, with both wingers – Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane – providing maximum width to try and stretch Everton’s back line. From here, central midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva supported in the inside channels, looking to receive splitting passes through the gaps between Everton’s wide and central midfielders on both sides of the pitch.

As City full-backs Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph looked to move inside, their central midfielders eventually moved into much higher positions behind Everton’s midfield unit. From here, they would create a three-on-three against their centre-backs, and a five-against-five in total, with the wingers continuing to play high in the wide areas. Everton’s central defenders couldn’t let the likes of Gundogan or Bernardo Silva receive and turn with the ball, so they had to step out with them. This created the gaps to play their wide attackers – particularly Mahrez on the right – in behind.

With Everton man-marking at the back, the hosts created their best spell of quick passing combinations and rotations, and repeated penetrations into the penalty area. The visitors simply couldn’t track all of City’s electric movements, and it was no surprise when the hosts moved ahead. Their high press forced Yerry Mina into a poor ball forward, from which Sane eventually played Gabriel Jesus in behind to finish low at the near post.

The hosts maintained their dominance, characterised by slick passing and off-the-ball movements, well into the second half, and soon doubled their lead. Jesus positioned himself cleverly between the Everton centre-backs, and headed home Sane’s inch-perfect cross from close range.

Everton shifted formation to a 4-4-2 and did temporarily reduce the deficit, but the hosts continued to look to Sane and Mahrez in wide areas, with the full-backs now moving higher as well. In the end, it was from another cross – this time from Fernandinho – that substitute Raheem Sterling headed home City’s decisive third.

Out of possession, City utilised a high pressing strategy if Everton built short from Jordan Pickford. However, only their front three stepped higher to apply pressure – their strategy was to press and force a long pass, rather than press to regain possession. Mina was a constant target; any time the Colombian defender had the ball within Everton’s defensive third, City increased the intensity of their press. This encouraged the longer ball into lone forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, against whom the hosts often had a two-on-one overload.

Should Everton play long from goal-kicks or open play, then City utilised a 4-3-3 mid-block strategy and counter-pressed any loose or second balls. Both full-backs stepped inside to assist the press, turning a four-on-three overload in the visitors’ favour into a five-on-four overload for City – this was particularly useful if the hosts’ wingers hadn’t recovered back into the midfield unit.

With Man City pushing their full-backs into more attacking positions in the second half, their recovery back into central positions wasn’t as essential. This did contribute to Everton’s goal on the day, as Calvert-Lewin headed home a cross from Lucas Digne wide on the left, but the hosts controlled late possession after Sterling had re-established the two-goal cushion and saw out the victory in relative comfort.