A few famous Everton wins over Man City
With just a few hours until Everton take on the runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, it seems like a good moment to dig up the archives and reflect on some of the Blues best ever wins over City. Hopefully it might be a good omen.
Let’s start with a historic game between Everton and City, the 1933 FA Cup Final.
This match was memorable not just for a great Everton performance but also as it was the first final in which players were numbered.
Everton’s players were numbered 1-11, as all teams used to be until recently when squad numbers took over. City’s side strangely had the numbers 12-22 on their backs.
The Blues were led by legendary centre-forward ‘Dixie’ Dean. The great goal-scorer was also Everton captain and the team had a sprinkling of outstanding players to support him.
Among these was a Scottish international forward Jimmy Dunn. Dunn was one of the ‘Wembley Wizards’ a fabled Scottish team that beat England 5-1 at the twin towers in a Home Internationals match in 1928.
Other famous players in that side were goalkeeper Ted Sagar and Warney Cresswell, both England internationals.
Everton, who the season before had won the league championship, went on to take the match running out comfortable 3-0 winners as they claimed the FA Cup for the second time.
Quaintly when the Blues returned to Merseyside they were met by a horse-drawn trap at Lime Street Station!
Our next game is from the 1985-86 season, during Everton’s golden mid-80’s era.
Although that season didn’t end well (as Evertonians know), there were some outstanding performances from a team that despite finishing empty-handed might have been the club’s finest side in that era.
When City visited Goodison Park in February ’86 the Blues were right in the hunt for a second consecutive league title. The Toffees were scoring goals freely and in summer signing Gary Lineker possessed the most in-form striker in the league.
Alongside the former Leicester City player the Blues had assembled what some believe was the club’s best-ever team.
From Welsh internationals, such as goalkeeper Nevile Southall and Kevin Ratcliffe to England stars Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven and Peter Reid, Irish winger Kevin Sheedy and Scottish centre-forward Graeme Sharp, the Everton side was bristling with British talent.
That night Everton produced a superb performance, playing with pace, energy and commitment as they swept City aside winning 4-0 with Lineker getting a hat-trick.
Unfortunately the Blues couldn’t round off the season with silverware but that team had contributed mightily to the history and tradition of the club.
The following season Everton re-claimed the league title in style and during that successful campaign went to Maine Road and won 3-1.
Fast-forward to last season, the 2016-17 Premier League campaign.
Everton’s last win over City and another 4-0 home win repeating the result of that freezing night in 1986.
Although it’s hard sometimes to remember now but just over twelve months ago City and manager Pep Guardiola were under real pressure.
Despite the club’s vast transfer outlay and recruiting the world’s most sought-after coach, City were falling further behind league leaders Chelsea and had been leaking goals prodigiously.
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Guardiola’s style and purest football philosophy was being questioned and City arrived at Goodison Park in January 2017 fighting to stay in touch in the title race. They left with their title hopes badly damaged.
For their part Everton had been enjoying a reasonably solid season, largely built on Romelu Lukaku’s goal scoring prowess.
And it was Lukaku who opened the scoring for the Blues before setting up his Belgian international team-mate Kevin Mirallas for number two.
Further strikes from Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman sealed an emphatic win at the grand old lady.
Next: Which Blues players stood out?
While it’s pretty unlikely it’s true, let’s hope against hope for something equally memorable when Everton take on City today.