Everton finish year by taking unlikely point at Manchester City

That was typically perverse Everton, as the Blues’ dug in yesterday defended superbly and ultimately held on to a 1-1 draw at champions Manchester City.

This is the same Everton side that couldn’t hold on to a one all scoreline or more importantly add to it at Goodison Park, when playing bottom club Wolves last Monday afternoon.

It is hard to understand how a team can be so inconsistent and unpredictable in it’s form and performances from week to week.

We’ve seen plenty of this from the Toffees’ over the years though. Terrible efforts against teams they should be beating and then a resiliant and defiant performance bringing them a result they really shouldn’t get, when facing a much better side.

And the same was exactly true for the final two matches of 2022.

So, Everton ended the year with a hard fought draw at Manchester City having gone behind early on to the inevitable Erling Haaland goal.

2022 won’t be a year that Blues’ fans are likely to want to remember. But then again, what twelve months has been over the last few years.

For most of that time, Toffees’ supporters have been treated to constant upheaval with new managers and players arriving almost every year only for hopes raised to be dashed as results decline and each campaign ends up as a frustrating anti-climax.

And so going into this game after the Wolves defeat, I didn’t have much hope Everton could avoid anything other than a heavy defeat.

I should have known that in fact it was possible this group of players might actually respond and produce a much better effort against the champions just to spite us all.

In truth, the Toffees’ were perhaps a little lucky to leave Manchester with a point as City had plenty of chances to add to Haaland’s twenty fourth minute strike.

Jordan Pickford was outstanding between the sticks and the Blues’ battled hard to contain their hosts later in the second half.

That was after Demarai Gray had produced a brilliant moment to score a superb equaliser, one that in the end was enough to earn Everton a point.

Gray’s inclusion in the starting eleven was one of several changes Frank Lampard made which worked after the Wolves debacle.

Anthony Gordon also dropped to the bench as Lampard reverted to a back three or five something I had expected he might.

Perhaps the most significant thing about yesterday’s performance was the willingness to be physical, not to be intimidated by their opponents, something that got under City’s skin.

Ben Godfrey had a running battle with Haaland – who was actually lucky not to get sent off for a terrible challenge that had he been wearing a pink shirt would have surely meant he saw red – and this highlighted Everton’s determination to hold on.

Much more of the same will be needed over the rest of this season and year if the the Toffees’ are to pull away from the relegation zone let alone achieve anything more.