Man City 1 Everton 1: Arsenal given late Christmas present as Demarai Gray strike dents Pep Guardiola’s title hopes

PEP GUARDIOLA said he would allow his players a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve to mark the end of another successful season.

Yet the bubbly may have tasted a little flat for the Manchester City players.

AFPGray’s equaliser has dented City’s bid to retain their Prem title[/caption]

ReutersThe winger caught City on the break[/caption]

GettyGray’s strike cancelled out Haaland’s equaliser[/caption]

AlamyThe 22-year-old scored his 21st league goal of the season[/caption]

For the second successive home league game – albeit seven weeks apart – they have dropped crucial points at their fortress Etihad.

And it means they have it all to do if 2023 is to see yet another Prem title end up here.

This was a ‘Gray’ day for the champions in every sense.

Under typical leaden skies in Manchester, Guardiola’s men were dragged into a scrap by the determined Toffees.

And a stunning goal from Demarai Gray just after the hour mark meant yet another Erling Haaland goal was not enough.

Toffees boss Frank Lampard is often jokingly referred to as City ‘legend’ by their fans after spending one season on loan here under Manuel Pellegrini.

However he returned to his old stamping ground in desperate need of a lift after three straight league defeats for his team.  

Nobody who had seen City’s return since the World Cup would have backed them to get much either.

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Guardiola said he had been convinced by those games that his team are hungry for another Prem title.  

World Cup winner Julian Alvarez – named on the bench after landing back in Manchester on Friday – and was almost called into action straight away.

Haaland down inside first minute after clash with Godfrey and needed extensive treatment – but was fine to carry on.

However it wouldn’t be the last we would hear of that physical match-up.

Everton were determined to make it difficult – but the champions still had chances to go ahead.

A Kevin de Bruyne cross was just too high for Haaland as James Tarkowski got up well to nick it off him.

The Belgian’s pass then sent Haaland racing clear and he went round Pickford but the angle was too tight – even for him – and he fired into the side-netting.

A sign that the frustration that was building for the home side came when Bernardo Silva was booked for going down too easily under a challenge from Nathan Patterson.

AFPGuardiola’s men trail Arsenal by four points[/caption]

But the mood lifted in the 24th minute as Jack Grealish worked the ball out to Riyad Mahrez who beat his man and laid the ball back for Haaland.

His shot on the turn was not his cleanest and would surely have been stopped by Connor Coady  on the line but for a touch by Pickford.

The last player to score as many as 21 league goals in a season for City was a certain Sergio Aguero seven years ago.

Haaland has managed it comfortably before the halfway mark in the campaign.

Much of the rest of the half was niggly with referee Andy Madley kept busy.

Haaland was clearly getting wound up – as he felt he was getting nothing in his on-going battle with Ben Godfrey.

Shortly before half-time, he raised his hands to the sky after winning a free-kick on the right hand side as if to say ‘finally’.

From the resulting set-piece, De Bruyne’s delivery was perfect for John Stones but his diving header smacked against the outside of the post.

ReutersDe Bruyne tried to pull the strings for City[/caption]

Haaland chased Vitaliy Mykolenko over to the far touchline and his flying challenge was a little too over-zealous for the ref who issued a yellow card.

Tempers were threatening to boil over although Haaland and the Ukrainian had a hug in the tunnel as they left the pitch at half-time.

Soon after the re-start, the players had a lengthy delay as the assistant referee had some problems with his headset.

Six minutes later we were back under way but those with parties to attend in the evening must have been starting to worry about the number of stoppages.

Yet it suited the visitors to stop City getting into their rhythm and just after the hour mark they got a surprise leveller.

Rodri had been receiving lengthy treatment and his mis-placed pass was cut out by Idrissa Gueye who found Gray.

The rest of it was all about the former Leicester man who seemed to have run down a blind alley out of options at one point. 

But then he cut inside and curled a right-footed beauty over Ederson and into the top corner.

AFPGray’s goal pushes Everton slightly away from the relegation zone[/caption]

Guardiola would not have been impressed that his defenders failed to get a meaningful challenge in – but even so, it was some strike.

Everton knew a point would be huge for them and looked to protect what they had.

A huge scramble saw Mahrez get his shot away but it was far from clean and Pickford was able to make a full-stretch save.

Guardiola threw on Phil Foden and Alvarez to try to snatch the win and there were 11 minutes of stoppage time for them to do it.

Yet Everton dug deep to take their point and showed they are still firmly behind their manager.

ReutersLampard is under pressure to produce results[/caption]