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Guardiola consoles Haaland after another City setback in the Premier League. Reuters
Boxing Day Fails to Revive a Faltering City

Boxing Day Fails to Revive a Faltering City

Guardiola's team stumbles again against Everton at the Etihad, extending a dismal run that has seen them collect just five of the last 27 points in the Premier League.

José Manuel Andrés

Madrid

Jueves, 26 de diciembre 2024, 16:50

Boxing Day, the cherished and century-old tradition that turns the day after Christmas into the most special day of the year in the Premier League, also failed to revive Guardiola's Manchester City. The dominant force in English football over the past decade continues to drift, wandering through the desert of disappointment after a dull draw against Everton at the Etihad, another setback that frustrates any 'sky blue' attempt to close in on the Champions League spots, City's goal this season after relinquishing the title.

The draw against Everton, deeply embroiled in the battle to avoid relegation to the Championship, was sealed with Ndiaye's equaliser, countering Bernardo Silva's opening goal. The latest 'cityzen' slip extends a dismal run of five points from the last 27 available in the Premier League, thanks to just one win in nine matches.

Despite a commendable start, City once again found themselves bogged down with inside play as the minutes ticked by. Guardiola's side suffered from excessively slow ball circulation, failing to capitalise on the dynamism of wingers like Savinho and Doku. Kovacic acted as the anchor for a team missing De Bruyne and Gündogan from the start, which also displayed alarming defensive fragility once more. Another defensive lapse allowed Everton's equaliser, with a cross that Ndiaye capitalised on amid Rico Lewis's defensive passivity.

The Toffees then opted to retreat, minimising risks to defend the draw, a valuable haul at the Etihad. Their strategy could have unravelled with Mykolenko's penalty on Savinho, but Haaland, who has scored just once in his last seven Premier League matches, was thwarted by Pickford and his famous cheat sheet on penalty takers.

Everton, who barely ventured into City's territory in the second half, nevertheless had a good chance to raid the 'sky blue' stronghold with a Harrison shot blocked by Akanji. It was the perfect example of Guardiola's team's current vulnerability, dominating and creating the best chances, but without the sorely missed Rodri, they were once again unable to control the match and prevent a back-and-forth Russian roulette, from which Everton took a point and prolonged the reigning Premier League champions' crisis.

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