Source: Liverpool_Echo
Everton 2 Manchester City 0
MAGNIFICENT Everton made a mockery of Manchester City's title pretensions at a rocking Goodison Park this afternoon, demolishing Roberto Mancini's in-form with their best performance of the season.[LNB]Goals from Steven Pienaar and a Louis Saha penalty put the Blues in control at the interval, and only the woodwork denied the home side further goals their performance warranted in the second half.[LNB]Marouane Fellaini was one of those players denied by the woodwork, but that didn't take away from an imperious performance from the Belgian who dominated the midfield from start to finish.[LNB]City started brightly, as befitting a team with four successive victories under their belt, but Everton gradually took control and by the interval were fully deserving of their two-goal lead.[LNB]Steven Pienaar scored the first direct from a free-kick.[LNB]Zabaleta was penalised for his challenge on Saha on the corner of the penalty box and the little South African, who scored an audacious goal at Arsenal last week, dinked another delicious effort over the wall and down again beyond Given's despairing grasp.[LNB]The second, on the stroke of half-time, was a penalty kick City fiercely protested. But while there was some confusion in the stadium as to what the offence had been, replays showed Micah Richards clearly tugging at Saha's shirt.[LNB]The Frenchman stepped up to take the kick and while Given dived to his left Saha clipped the ball straight down the middle of the goal.[LNB]It was a lead Everton thoroughly merited with Fellaini in particular dominating the middle of the park with tank trap tackling and slick, effective distribution.[LNB]And it was a lead no doubt relished by David Moyes.[LNB]It has been five months now since Joleon Lescott's bitter switch to Eastlands, but the Blues boss was clearly still irked by the affair.[LNB]His programme notes carped: "There is no doubt that Manchester City Football Club treated us with little respect and broke rules in the summer transfer of Joleon Lescott. I found it difficult to accept that a club that until recently had shared so many similarities to Everton should suddenly start acting with no class."[LNB]He was clearly desperate to exact revenge on the pitch, but City started brightly - despite losing Roque Santa Cruz to injury with the game barely five minutes old.[LNB]He was replaced by Robinho after eight minutes and a minute later a Martin Petrov shot dipped in front of Howard and forced an uncomfortable save.[LNB]Four minutes later Petrov crossed, Tevez headed on and Robinho lashed at a left footed volley and the ball flew over.[LNB]But from that moment on Everton began to exert more and more control.
