Man City fall to defeat at Everton

By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport Darron Gibson Gibson scores his first goal for Everton to give old team Manchester United a lift

Darron Gibson helped former team Manchester United as his first goal for Everton was enough to beat Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Denis Stracqualursi’s header was nodded off the line by Joleon Lescott as Samir Nasri hit the bar in the first half.

The hosts paraded new signing Nikica Jelavic at half-time and Gibson lifted the crowd further when he struck following Leighton Baines’ cross.

City pressed but though Nasri hit the bar again, they could not capitalise.

With Manchester United winning at home to Stoke, City’s failure to get even a point means they are now only top of the Premier League on goal difference.

And the defeat once again highlighted how Roberto Mancini’s team are missing Yaya Toure, despite the return of skipper Vincent Kompany, as they fell to their third loss of the campaign.

Everton loss my fault – Roberto Mancini

Everton’s victory was only their fourth at home this season, but it continues their good run against City, who have won once in 14 visits to Goodison Park.

A lacklustre first half was given an unusual twist when a supporter appeared to handcuff himself to Joe Hart’s left post, delaying the game by five minutes.

But as poor as the visitors were for stretches of the game, Everton battled well throughout and Stracqualursi was a tireless presence on his own up front.

The Argentine nearly gave Everton the lead, with Lescott denying him following Royston Drenthe’s corner, and he also tested Joe Hart with another header soon after.

But with goals hard to come by at Everton, and striker Louis Saha missing from the squad before making a move to Tottenham, chances were thin on the ground early on.

Their only other chance of note came when Marouane Fellaini fired wide after a well-worked move.

A fan handcuffs himself to a goalpost delaying the game by five minutes A fan handcuffs himself to a goalpost delaying the game by five minutes

City were gifted their first opportunity when Drenthe carelessly gave away possession after 23 minutes. That enabled David Silva to find Sergio Aguero, but the visitors’ top scorer was off-target.

Nasri’s 25-yard shot against the woodwork turned out to be their best effort, but the league leaders were largely subdued on a freezing night.

Everton’s new Croatian striker Jelavic, signed from Rangers, was paraded on the pitch at the break in an effort to inspire the home crowd, although it was City who began to attack with purpose when play resumed, Aguero having a penalty shout when his driving run was brought to an end.

But it was Everton who took the lead when Fellaini broke up play, fed Drenthe and once Baines delivered into the box it was set for Gibson to smash in, with the shot taking a slight deflection off Gareth Barry.

Goodison rejoiced and Gibson, who had spent most of his career at Manchester United before signing for Everton on 13 January, was understandably elated that his first goal for his new team came against United’s arch rivals.

The Northern Irishman almost added a second as he fired wide from 25 yards soon after, but City finally seemed to realise the seriousness of the situation and began to press Everton’s goal.

Darron Gibson revels in ‘unbelievable’ result for Everton

Aleksandar Kolarov was introduced in place of Joleon Lescott and he found room to cross from the left, testing Tim Howard with one effort and also hitting Phil Neville’s arm with another to loud penalty appeals.

But for all their pressure, the leaders created few openings, and Nasri’s shot which bounced into the ground and onto the top of the bar was as close as they came.

Having scored almost at will during the early part of the season, City’s performance here will worry Mancini.

And he will hope an upcoming run of five games against teams in the bottom half of the table can add some zest to a side that, despite its expensively assembled talents, is currently looking short of impetus.

 

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Premier League

Home Team Score Away Team Time
Everton 1-0 Man City FT
(HT 0-0)
  • Final Result
  • Full Time
  • 90:00+4:20 The referee brings the game to a close.
  • 90:00+2:49 Outswinging corner taken by Adam Johnson from the left by-line, clearance by Landon Donovan.
  • 90:00+2:31 Edin Dzeko takes a shot. Darron Gibson gets a block in.
  • 90:00+1:09 Shot from just outside the box by Edin Dzeko misses to the left of the target.
  • 90:00+0:43 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Micah Richards by Apostolos Vellios. Indirect free kick taken by Joe Hart.
  • 89:48 The assistant referee flags for offside against Vincent Kompany. Tim Howard restarts play with the free kick.
  • 89:21 Corner taken by Adam Johnson from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance made by Apostolos Vellios.
  • 87:29 Substitution Apostolos Vellios is brought on as a substitute for Denis Stracqualursi.
  • 85:37 Substitution Nigel De Jong joins the action as a substitute, replacing Gareth Barry.
  • 85:11 Samir Nasri takes a shot. Tony Hibbert gets a block in.
  • 82:02 Jose Baxter takes a shot. Gael Clichy gets a block in.
  • 81:27 Shot from 30 yards by Edin Dzeko. Tony Hibbert gets a block in.
  • 79:34 Shot by Denis Stracqualursi missed to the left of the target.
  • 77:59 Substitution (Everton) makes a substitution, with Jose Baxter coming on for Royston Drenthe.
  • 77:38 Micah Richards produces a right-footed shot from inside the area that clears the bar.
  • 76:51 Aleksandar Kolarov delivers the ball from the free kick left-footed from right wing, Denis Stracqualursi manages to make a clearance.
  • 76:51 Booking Royston Drenthe shown a yellow card.
  • 76:42 Unfair challenge on Adam Johnson by Royston Drenthe results in a free kick.
  • 75:47 Samir Nasri takes a shot. Blocked by Darron Gibson.
  • 72:53 Free kick awarded for a foul by Aleksandar Kolarov on Landon Donovan. Phil Neville restarts play with the free kick.
  • 70:38 Free kick awarded for a foul by Denis Stracqualursi on Micah Richards. Vincent Kompany takes the free kick.
  • 70:03 Darron Gibson has an effort at goal from outside the box missing to the wide left of the goal.
  • 68:49 Corner taken by David Silva from the left by-line played to the near post, Marouane Fellaini manages to make a clearance.
  • 68:23 Leighton Baines gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Adam Johnson. Aleksandar Kolarov crosses the ball in from the free kick, Tim Howard manages to make a clearance.
  • 68:09 Adam Johnson takes a shot. Leighton Baines gets a block in.
  • 67:24 Substitution Aleksandar Kolarov joins the action as a substitute, replacing Joleon Lescott.
  • 67:13 Darron Gibson produces a right-footed shot from just outside the box that goes wide left of the target.
  • 62:12 Marouane Fellaini concedes a free kick for a foul on Edin Dzeko. Samir Nasri takes the free kick.
  • 61:33 Edin Dzeko is caught offside. Tony Hibbert takes the direct free kick.
  • 61:06 Substitution Adam Johnson joins the action as a substitute, replacing James Milner.
  • 59:36 Landon Donovan provided the assist for the goal.
  • 59:36 GOAL – Darron Gibson:Everton 1 – 0 Man City Darron Gibson fires in a goal from just inside the penalty area to the top right corner of the goal. Everton 1-0 Man City.
  • 58:20 Landon Donovan takes the indirect free kick.
  • 58:20 Booking Joleon Lescott receives a caution.
  • 58:14 Joleon Lescott gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Denis Stracqualursi.
  • 56:13 Samir Nasri takes a outswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post, Marouane Fellaini makes a clearance.
  • 54:28 Edin Dzeko gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Tony Hibbert. Free kick taken by Phil Neville.
  • 52:16 Foul by Joleon Lescott on Tim Howard, free kick awarded. Tim Howard takes the indirect free kick.
  • 51:54 Corner taken by Samir Nasri from the right by-line to the near post, clearance made by Marouane Fellaini.
  • 51:36 Samir Nasri takes a shot. Blocked by Leighton Baines.
  • 50:03 Denis Stracqualursi takes a shot.
  • 49:13 David Silva is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Tim Howard restarts play with the free kick.
  • 47:59 Edin Dzeko takes a shot. Save by Tim Howard.
  • 46:38 Foul by Royston Drenthe on James Milner, free kick awarded. Indirect free kick taken by Samir Nasri.
  • 45:01 The second half has started.
  • Half Time
  • 45:00+5:07 The referee calls an end to the first half.
  • 45:00+4:21 Micah Richards is ruled offside. Tim Howard restarts play with the free kick.
  • 45:00+0:45 Tim Cahill is caught offside. Direct free kick taken by Joe Hart.
  • 39:34 Royston Drenthe fouled by Samir Nasri, the ref awards a free kick. Indirect free kick taken by Tim Howard.
  • 38:35 James Milner takes a outswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post.
  • 38:20 Sergio Aguero takes a shot. Johnny Heitinga gets a block in.
  • 37:43 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Samir Nasri by Marouane Fellaini. Indirect free kick taken by Gael Clichy.
  • 36:09 The assistant referee signals for offside against Sergio Aguero. Free kick taken by Tim Howard.
  • 35:54 Samir Nasri takes a shot.
  • 35:02 Shot by Marouane Fellaini from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the target.
  • 34:34 Corner from the left by-line taken by Landon Donovan, clearance by Edin Dzeko.
  • 33:56 Free kick crossed left-footed by Leighton Baines.
  • 33:56 Booking Vincent Kompany receives a caution.
  • 33:48 Foul by Vincent Kompany on Tim Cahill, free kick awarded.
  • 32:19 Denis Stracqualursi gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Joe Hart. Joe Hart takes the indirect free kick.
  • 31:12 Gareth Barry challenges Tim Cahill unfairly and gives away a free kick. The free kick is swung in right-footed by Landon Donovan, Gael Clichy manages to make a clearance.
  • 26:35 Tim Cahill concedes a free kick for a foul on Samir Nasri. Vincent Kompany takes the indirect free kick.
  • 23:57 Royston Drenthe challenges Micah Richards unfairly and gives away a free kick. Samir Nasri restarts play with the free kick.
  • 23:35 David Silva takes a shot. Blocked by Johnny Heitinga.
  • 22:54 Sergio Aguero has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the right-hand post.
  • 22:36 Free kick awarded for a foul by James Milner on Royston Drenthe. Indirect free kick taken by Royston Drenthe.
  • 21:33 Corner taken by Samir Nasri played to the near post, clearance made by Tony Hibbert.
  • 19:33 Royston Drenthe fouled by Micah Richards, the ref awards a free kick. Leighton Baines takes the free kick.
  • 18:28 David Silva takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post, Tim Howard makes a save.
  • 18:17 Edin Dzeko takes a shot. Johnny Heitinga gets a block in.
  • 17:02 Corner taken by Landon Donovan from the left by-line to the near post, Edin Dzeko manages to make a clearance.
  • 10:55 Gael Clichy produces a left-footed shot from the edge of the area and misses to the left of the target.
  • 9:57 Denis Stracqualursi takes a shot. Save by Joe Hart.
  • 6:08 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by David Silva from the right by-line, Joleon Lescott takes a shot. Save by Tim Howard.
  • 5:55 Micah Richards takes a shot. Save made by Tim Howard.
  • 5:34 Marouane Fellaini is caught offside. Joe Hart takes the free kick.
  • 4:28 Corner taken left-footed by Royston Drenthe, Denis Stracqualursi takes a shot. Joleon Lescott manages to make a clearance.
  • 3:03 Leighton Baines concedes a free kick for a foul on James Milner. Micah Richards takes the indirect free kick.
  • 2:25 The official flags James Milner offside. Tim Howard takes the free kick.
  • 0:47 Johnny Heitinga gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Edin Dzeko. Free kick taken by Samir Nasri.
  • 0:00 The referee gets the game started.

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