City away for Everton. Off the back of a couple of cup wins, we travelled to the Eastlands with a quiet optimism for a positive result, given our improved performance against our opponents in the league cup. Phil Jagielka made his first start since his injury away to Arsenal in October, aiding Roberto Matinez as he took his knife to the gun fight. Or something. Actually, we aren’t really like a knife at all anymore. A boss arl antique musket- sound to look at, but occasionally misfiring, and with an alarming propensity to blow up in your face at any given moment. Or something.

Stones shifted to right back, with Deulofeu ahead of him. Besic was given the chance to continue to impress alongside Barry in the middle, and a rare start for Leon Osman ahead of Leighton Baines. It was Osman’s first start of the season- he’d only played forty minutes of league football all season prior to the game, but had given us a calm, assured presence against City in the league cup when he replaced the hobbled Tom Cleverley.

We settled into the game quite well. City weren’t putting any pressure on us, thanks in part to us holding a decent shape. The first chance of note came to Yaya Toure from a Bacary Sagna cross out wide, which produced a good low save from Howard, close though it was to him…

Toure was still afforded too much space, making for an uncontested header. It wasn’t a late run onto the ball as the move developed, the Ivorian was just allowed space between the Everton bodies. We’ve seen a definite improvement in our defending of late, but getting tighter to bodies in the box can still be worked on. Phil Jagielka’s return is a big boost, although there isn’t a huge difference in terms of goals conceded: conceding 1.3 per game (three clean sheets in ten) with him prior to his injury, 1.6 without (two clean sheets in ten), but his organisation and experience has been sorely missed at times. Jagielka was one of our best players through the first two months of the season, and we’re a better side for his return, but the determination in recent weeks to hold a better shape, drop into a deeper line when needed, and block crosses from out wide, has made us a sturdier side since Stoke. Having not done a good enough job of blocking crosses all season, we’ve jumped up to second in the league for blocked crosses per game (3.8), such has been our recent determination to get to grips with our vulnerabilities: it is no coincidence that this improved defensive performance out wide has coincided with Leighton Baines’ return, either. Baines, on the whole, has done a good job of stopping crosses getting into areas that can hurt us.

From one end to another, as Besic carried us forward following Howard’s save, Lukaku clipped a ball into the box which ran for Deulofeu, who forced Joe Hart into his first save of note, smothering the Catalan’s effort…

Perhaps on another day Deulofeu stands this up to the space at the back post for Barkley, but, you don’t complain if it goes in, and it was a decent save at Hart’s feet.

Moments later, and Deulofeu almost made something happen again. We’ve missed Jagielka, but not as much as City have missed Kompany:

Again, #MCFC with & w/out Kompany in PL With:9 games, 7 clean sheets, 2 conceded: 0.2 PG W/out:11 games, 1 CS, 19 conceded: 1.7 PG #efc — Everton Musings (@EvertonMusings) January 12, 2016

and it was so apparent here…

On the far side of the pitch, Gael Clichy has gotten himself in a horrible position. Wide and advanced, he’s inviting a ball into space behind him. Deulofeu is his man, but he’s switched off and doesn’t even appear to notice that Deulofeu has come inside. Martin Demichelis has come forward to try and deny Stones a pass into Leon Osman who- but for Demichelis getting himself out of position- was being afforded all kinds of space in central midfield. It’s a far cry from the defensively sound, organised City that came to Goodison early in the season, led by Kompany. Deulofeu spots his opportunity and heads for the space, Demichelis follows. Stones plays a nice ball into the channel, and Deulofeu takes a good touch away from Demichelis, who, as a big thirty five year old centre half, just can’t live with the speed and movement…

City are bailed out by the excellent front post positioning of Nicolas Otamendi, who manages to turn the ball behind for a corner. There’s every chance Lukaku might’ve managed to get to the ball first to make it 1-0, if not for Otamendi.

Leon Osman came inches away from opening the scoring, firing a volley just past Joe Hart’s far post from a Lukaku cross on an Everton break. About as difficult a skill as possible, its testament to Osman’s technical abilities that he got it so close. It would’ve long lived in the memory, had it gone in. Half an hour in and another decent chance, and more poor play from City defensively…

Powerful hold up play from Lukaku, keeping Otamendi- who has followed Lukaku well into the Everton half- from the ball. Lukaku turns and plays the ball infield into the path of Mo Besic…

Gael Clichy comes screaming out of his position to try to win the ball, despite having seen Otamendi deep in the Everton half. Clichy should really be dropping back and trying to buy others time to get back. Once Clichy commits himself and doesn’t get the ball, leaving Deulofeu free in the process, the break is on…

Besic easily rounds Clichy and prods the ball to Deulofeu. Unfortunately for us, Deulofeu’s pass is slightly over hit, and forces Barkley out wide. Had it have been a good pass, Barkley has a march on Sagna, and would’ve had a clear path to goal. Lukaku fired over from a tight angle not long after, following a stunning Deulofeu pass down the right channel after we’d managed to isolate Demichelis again. We’d either been instructed to attack Demichelis in space, or it had just worked out that way. He was a good defender in his day, but his legs don’t allow that to be said of him anymore. Each of these moments should be of great encouragement to Everton in time for the second leg of the league cup semi, especially if Demichelis plays up against our young, athletic attacking players.

Going the other way, and the first opportunity Sergio Aguero had to run at the Everton defence and cause a bit of havoc was snuffed out by the excellently positioned Besic…

Picking up where he left off in his last outing against City. Five tackles on the night for Besic, Otamendi (3) had the second most on the pitch. A strange mix in a lot of ways: a combination of uncompromising snide (top five in the league for tackles per ninety minutes, top three for midfielders), and cultured composed football, mean Besic has made a big impression since his introduction to the team- in a lot of ways, he’s been just what we’ve been missing.

The home crowd grew a little restless, Everton had been the better side. On the odd occasion City did threaten, Funes Mori was having an excellent game. His positional sense was spot on, perfectly placed on the front post to cut out danger on a couple of occasions….

Such as here, covering across to the right half of the goal, keeping De Bruyne’s pull back from finding Aguero. Four interceptions on the night for Mori, twice as many as any other player on the pitch: excellent stuff.

Second half now, and John Stones playing the unfamiliar role of right back did well to block a Raheem Sterling effort on goal, expertly positioned inside the far post as the ball came to the ex- Liverpool man…

An hour gone, and Howard was called into action following a fierce Aguero volley from a City corner. It was straight at Howard, but it was hit hard enough, the American palming it away from goal. It was more sloppy defending from the corner, however. This time from Baines…

Baines never gets closer to Aguero than this at any point, and the Argentine has space to strike the volley once the ball comes in. It’s another poor, basic mistake to afford a player like Aguero this much space. It didn’t result in us conceding, but it could’ve, and it would have been an undeserving lead for City. This is exactly the kind of sloppy work that has cost us defensively this season, after a promising opening half, it would’ve been a frustrating way to fall behind.

Slowly, we were starting to sink a little deeper, City pressing a little more. Howard produced his best save of the game to this point, throwing a right boot out to save from Raheem Sterling as he cut across the face of Howard’s goal. A very good save. Not long after, and our ‘keeper was at it again, making a smart save from Aguero, who’d managed to wriggle the wrong side of Mori after a good run and perfectly weighted pass from Toure, only for Howard to save his side…

That was as close as either side would come. The rest of the game was pretty uneventful, save for a challenge by John Stones on Raheem Sterling right at the death that should’ve been a penalty, but that was it. We sat deeper, happy to preserve a point, and our attacking threat faded. City didn’t really have the attacking guile to break us down, and it was a hard earned point for both sides. As the away side, you’re happy to say it was a fair result on the balance of play. Chelsea away next up. Easy.

As always, for more questionable logic, you can find me here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvertonMusings