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Manchester City survived a testing encounter at Goodison Park as they came from behind to beat Everton 3-1 and climb back into the top four.<\/strong><\/p>\n The newly-crowned Club World Cup winners recovered from going behind to former winger Jack Harrison\u2019s first-half goal to score twice after the break through a beauty from Phil Foden and a Julian Alvarez penalty.<\/p>\n Late on, Bernardo Silva curled home into an empty net after the otherwise excellent Jordan Pickford had his kick charged down to leave Everton a point above the relegation zone.<\/p>\n It was only City\u2019s second win in seven league matches, but was enough to bring second-placed Arsenal within their sights and Liverpool not much further away.<\/p>\n However, the loss of John Stones, making only his fifth Premier League start this season due to injury, and an eighth successive Premier League game without a clean sheet were less welcome.<\/p>\n With Liverpool and Arsenal drawing just before Christmas, City returned victorious from Saudi Arabia knowing winning their two games in hand would leave them just a couple of points behind Jurgen Klopp\u2019s side at the summit.<\/p>\n Had it not been for some wayward shooting and, more significantly, Jordan Pickford, they would probably have been coasting towards the first of those wins before half-time.<\/p>\n The England number one\u2019s most important intervention came in the 14th minute when he saved Matheus Nunes\u2019 shot and then stuck out a foot to narrowly divert wide Alvarez\u2019s rebound. He also later denied Jack Grealish.<\/p>\n And without Erling Haaland for a sixth successive game \u2013 the Norway international\u2019s foot injury is also expected to keep him out of the weekend\u2019s visit of Sheffield United \u2013 Pep Guardiola\u2019s side started to look a bit toothless.<\/p>\n That has been a longer-term problem for Everton but scoring from your first shot on target always helps and when Rodri was pressured into an uncharacteristic loss of possession on the edge of his own area by Beto the home side pounced.<\/p>\n Dwight McNeil laid on his third assist in five games as Harrison sidefooted home from close range, with the former City winger almost scoring a spectacular second with Ederson at full stretch to tip over his swerving outside-of-the-left-foot effort.<\/p>\n City were more than happy to leave Beto, making his first start in six games but with two goals in his last five appearances, one-on-one at the back and that almost backfired when Pickford picked him out only for the striker\u2019s clumsiness allowing Stones to recover and clear, injuring himself in the process.<\/p>\n Guardiola was furious with the assistant referee for not flagging for offside and his mood was not helped by the defender\u2019s enforced departure just before half-time.<\/p>\n City needed just 19 minutes after the break to turn things around with Foden given too much space on the edge of the area from a corner to beat Pickford down by his left-hand post.<\/p>\n BERNARDOOOOOOOO!!!<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf6c 1-3 \u26aa\ufe0f #ManCity<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fdtmTUh4bQ<\/a><\/p>\n\n