IT is the old one-two Manchester City fans have waited all season to see – and at last Erling Haaland put them out of their misery.
Twice City’s striking Viking came up trumps with his first goals since breaking a bone in his foot in December, sending the champions back to the top for a time at least.
Just as crucially, though, was the fact the second was teed up by Kevin De Bruyne, an even longer-term Etihad crock whose season has effectively only just started.
And with their dynamic duo back in the old routine for the Premier League run-in, City are starting to have an ominous look about them once again.
To be fair it took a long time before they did against Everton, though, for all they had the lion’s share of the ball right from the off.
Jeremy Doku’s lightning feet may have constantly taken him to the byline down the left, yet rarely did his delivery remotely come close to an end product.
In fact the only keeper remotely worked in the first half was actually Ederson – largely of City’s own making.
First Doku was guilty of dithering on the edge of his box and then Nathan Ake of trying to shepherd it back to the Brazilian.
Ben Godfrey slid in, got a toe to the ball, a foot to the keeper and left him needing treatment for a couple of minutes.
It was the first time in 18 months that Pep Guardiola’s men went through the first half without a shot on target.
And the way they toiled for much of the second, it seemed they could even go the entire match without troubling Pickford.
Cue De Bruyne, who had four months out after hamstring surgery before returning in January, who made his entrance from the bench ten minutes after the break.
It seemed to send a shot of energy through the entire side, and when an Alvarez corner pinballed around, Haaland swivelled and thumped in a shot from beyond the far post.
You could almost hear the sighs of relief around the Etihad, and ten minutes from the end they had breathing space – thanks to KDB and their goal machine.
De Bruyne sent him scooting clear with a slide rule ball from within his own half, Jarrad Branthwaite ended up on his backside as he came to challenge, and Haaland buried the finish.
Game over, points in the bag, and City looking down on the rest again.
And every likelihood to end the season doing so as well.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
