Manchester City held by Everton after Erling Haaland’s penalty miss
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Manchester City’s plight is their individual kind of deja vu nightmare. Featuring domination, taking the lead, creating numerous chances, the spurning of these, and the pesky foe taking one of their very few to thwart those in blue. Add to the above a dismal 53rd-minute Erling Haaland penalty miss – greeted with a mischievous wink by Jordan Pickford following his save – and times are ever more trying for Pep Guardiola’s men.
![[The Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, reacts during the Premier League match against Everton.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1cf652080b86aa4ce4753713ab02630896136b52/0_133_2819_1691/master/2819.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The bottom line is one win in 13 now for the champions, a collapse so spectacular expect “doing a City” soon to become common coinage. Before Haaland’s despair they were flying. Post-this, they were winded. A blur of ball-hogging who lacked surety whenever advancing to Everton’s goal.
As the contest aged Savinho’s ballooned chip caused Guardiola further dudgeon: yet another spurned chance. His team are a liability each time they have to defend, too. A (reasonable) Guardiola trope is how, as today, the opposition score from very few chances. But this is a function of City’s systematic failure from back-to-front. Missed opportunities become glaring when the rearguard enters a mini-panic on being called to action.
Guardiola has been as dignified as his side has disappointed during the dire run, calm before the media, while exhorting his men to maintain City’s principles and, here, they did – at first. A Josko Gvardiol forage forced a corner on the left. Phil Foden fashioned a one-two with Jérémy Doku and a cross was headed off Pickford’s right post by the leaping Gvardiol. His manager scrunched features, then saw Savinho’s mazy run end in a shot that dribbled into Pickford’s clutches. This was City in the old, imperious mood, swatting the foe aside with pugnacious pass-and-move play.
