Not even Boxing Day unlocks the Citizens. Bernardo Silva deceives Pep, then the great goal from Ndiaye and Pickford who hypnotizes the Norwegian
The Boxing Day marathon begins with another chapter in Manchester City's book of horrors, as they are stopped at home by Everton with Erling Haaland missing a penalty. One of the most significant days of the Premier League calendar now continues with 7 more matches, with Liverpool leaders who will try to finish with the grand final at 9pm.
Manchester City-Everton 1-1
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Try it again, Pep. Not even Boxing Day resolves City's crisis, which at least does not lose (as it had done in 9 of the previous 12 matches) but which does not go beyond the home draw with Everton, with the addition of the penalty of the possible 2-1 mistake at the start of the second half by Haaland (well done by Pickford for guessing) who confirms how the reigning champions' problems are mainly head-related. They are also in defense: Ndiaye's equalizer in the 36th minute, following a great ball from Doucouré, is yet another courtesy from a rearguard that has conceded goals in 12 of the last 13 games. As always, Pep has the alibi of injuries, with 8 unavailable and 35% of the outfield players in the squad forced to stop, but he also has to deal with the usual problems that have been sinking City since the end of October: vulnerable defense (2, 15 goals conceded in the last 13 games), inconclusive attack (the 1-0 in the 14th minute was scored by Bernardo Silva, but since the implosion City have been averaging 1.15 goals per game against the 2.25 in the first two months), too many players out of condition. The good news is that at least this time the champions did not lose, as in the three previous matches, but the table now says that Guardiola's team has 28 points and has scored just 5 in the Premier League from November 1st onwards: only Southampton are in last place he has done fewer in the standings at the moment. Everton, in their second match under Friedkin's ownership, earned the draw with a penalty saved by Pickford, an attentive defense and an attack always ready to restart: they rise to 17 points in the standings with their fourth consecutive useful result. And the regret of a badly wasted 4-2 counterattack in the 96th minute that could have been worth the feat.
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THE PROGRAM
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The marathon continues with 5 matches at 4pm Italian time. Spotlight on Chelsea-Fulham, with Maresca trying to confirm second place in the standings at Stamford Bridge, Nottingham Forest-Tottenham, Southampton-West Ham, Bournemouth-Crystal Palace and Newcastle-Aston Villa are also in the field. At 6.30pm Manchester United takes their crisis to Wolverhampton, at 9pm they close the league leaders Liverpool by hosting Leicester at Anfield.
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