Pep Guardiola’s side is seeking for a fourth consecutive title and had seemed like dropping eight points behind the Reds, but responded with three second-half goals to move into fourth place.

Everton withstood an early storm from City, as Jordan Pickford made important saves to deny Julian Alvarez twice and keep away Jack Grealish’s poked effort at full stretch.

The hosts seized the lead on their first significant assault of the game when Jack Harrison tapped in from close range, and he could have added a second against his previous club but Ederson’s incredible stop denied him.

After the break, however, City replied like champions through Phil Foden, who picked up the ball outside the area and hammered home a low finish beyond Pickford’s grasp.

On 64 minutes, Julian Alvarez converted a penalty after Amadou Onana handled in the box, and Bernardo Silva curled into an open net following Pickford’s miscued clearance to leave Everton only one point above the relegation zone.

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City is relieved to have won.
Last season’s Triple Crown champions City won the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia on Friday, their fifth trophy in a remarkable 2023 season.

They are attempting to become the first team to win the Premier League title four seasons in a row, but the ailing champs have a long way to go.

City is chasing Liverpool and Arsenal, but Guardiola’s club is a winning machine that gets more dangerous as the season progresses. Last year on this day, they were eight points off of first place.