FULL TIME MAN CITY 0-2 EVERTON: Ayegbeni Yakubu and Joleon Lescott's first half goals hand Everton a deserved win which lifts them up to fourth in the Premier League above Liverpool, while City's misery was compounded by Martin Petrov's dismissal.

Martin Petrov rounds off a miserable night for both himself and City by getting a silly straight red card for needlessly kicking out at Leon Osman in injury time.

Joleon Lescott fouls Benjani Mwaruwari on the edge of the area and Martin Petrov takes the free kick from the right of the area but Tim Howard parries it away.

Martin Petrov tries his luck from the edge of the area with his right foot but it is saved at the second attempt by Tim Howard.

Nery Castillo charges towards goal but his attempted pass just runs straight into the hands of Tim Howard.

City are trying to get forward but their efforts have not been good enough tonight with one shot to save so far for Tim Howard after 87 minutes.

At last a first save to make for Tim Howard as he gets down well to parry a shot from Nery Castillo before Phil Jagielka dives in to block a follow up from Felipe Caicedo.

Joleon Lescott plays a ball into the area for Andrew Johnson whose close range shot is parried away by Joe Hart.

A dangerous looking cross from the left by Martin Petrov drops too far away from Benjani Mwaruwari who was waiting in the centre.

It is end-to-end stuff as we enter the final 10 minutes of this contest as City try and get a foot hold back into the game.

Everton are on top now with Andrew Johnson getting behind the City defence but Leon Osman cannot get enough power on his shot which Joe Hart saves easily.

Lee Carsley takes a cheeky quick free kick from the edge of the area which produces a fine save from Joe Hart after Ayegbeni Yakubu is fouled.

Leon Osman blasted in the free kick but Joleon Lescott cannot get an effort on target.

Micah Richards inexplicably handles the ball in the air right on the edge of his own penalty area to the left side in a good position for Everton.

Another change for City with Nery Castillo coming on in place of Darius Vassell.

More good passing play from City here as Blumer Elano then opts to shoot on goal but his effort goes past the far post.

Micah Richards wins a free kick out on the right after grappling with Tim Cahill but Richard Dunne's flick header from Martin Petrov's cross goes over the top of the Everton goal.

Blumer Elano is under no pressure to try and pick out a team-mate in the middle but his cross goes out for a goal kick. The Brazilian is not having a good game in this second half.

City also make a change now with attack-minded Ecuadorian teenager Felipe Caicedo coming on for Stephen Ireland.

Henriques Manuel Fernandes has only been on for ten minutes but is forced out of the game due to injury with striker Andrew Johnson coming on to replace him.

Martin Petrov gets in a cross which Joleon Lescott elects to head out for a corner. Martin Petrov whips in the corner but Everton again get the ball clear comfortably.

City are enjoying good possession again here but the Everton defence are holding their own against any attacks.

Blumer Elano's resulting free kick hits the Everton wall and drops out for a corner which is easily headed clear by Everton. City put the ball back in and Micah Richards unsettles Tim Howard who cannot gather and the defence hack it clear.

Martin Petrov thunders a low shot into the area but Phil Jagielka blocks the goal bound effort before Leon Osman gives away a free kick for hand ball.

Manuel Fernandes has only been on the pitch for a few minutes but is struggling after that tackle from Gelson Fernandes and limps to the sidelines.

Gelson Fernandes whips the ball away from Manuel Fernandes but his pass into the area goes straight to an Everton player who clears.

A promising break by City here but there are no wide options for Blumer Elano and his attempted chip forward simply drops into the hands of Tim Howard.

Everton make a change here with Steven Pienaar being replaced by Henriques Manuel Fernandes.

The free kick into the area is headed wide of the far post by Micah Richards.

A first booking of the game now as Lee Carsley gets his fifth of the season for a bad tackle on Gelson Fernandes so it means he will miss the Sunderland game.

Ayegbeni Yakubu gets into the area and tries to cut the ball back to Tim Cahill who slides in but the ball is hacked off the goal line by Richard Dunne.

Richard Dunne is shouldered off the ball by Ayegbeni Yakubu and a foul is given much to the Everton man's frustration.

Benjani Mwaruwari lays the ball off to Blumer Elano but his cross into the area just drops into the hands of Tim Howard.

A fairly slow start to the second half here as the rain now starts to come down at Eastlands.

Everton come forward quickly and go close as Steven Pienaar sets up Phil Neville whose effort from 20 yards is rising all the time and goes over the top.

Steven Pienaar commits a foul to hand City a free kick right of centre and about 30 yards out. Blumer Elano puts the ball in but it is easily cleared.

City have made one change for this half with Blumer Elano coming on in place of Dietmar Hamann.

The game is up and running again with Sven-Goran Eriksson no doubt wanting a lot more in attack from his City players while David Moyes will just want more of the same from Everton.

HALF TIME MAN CITY 0-2 EVERTON: Two late Everton corners come to nothing and they go in at the break at Eastlands in total command thanks to goals from Ayegbeni Yakubu and Joleon Lescott.

Everton win a free kick down the right and just outside the area which is played by Leon Osman and knocked just past his own goal by Darius Vassell.

City try to launch another attack but yet again Joseph Yobo has got the measure of Benjani Mwaruwari.

England coach Fabio Capello is watching at Eastlands and City keeper Joe Hart has looked a bit nervous with a few less than convincing punches clear.

Everton fully deserve this two-goal lead after soaking up City's pressure and coming forward with a lot more cutting edge in front of goal.

MAN CITY 0-2 EVERTON: Everton win a corner which is played in by Leon Osman but is just too high for Joseph Yobo. But Lee Carsley whips a cross to the back post and JOLEON LESCOTT loops a header into the far corner.

Martin Petrov's high free kick into the Everton area is only knocked to Darius Vassell who chests the ball down but his effort is high over the bar.

After a minute or so of messing around Ayegbeni Yakubu's free kick hits the wall and referee Rob Styles gives a free kick to City.

Everton win a free kick right on the edge of the area as Dietmar Hamann brings down Lee Carsley.

Martin Petrov tries a quick response for City but his effort flies just past the far post.

MAN CITY 0-1 EVERTON: AYEGBENI YAKUBU plays a neat exchange of passes with Tim Cahill and fires in from close range to hand Everton a deserved lead as they have been on top in the past few minutes.

Everton get another chance as Tim Cahill tees up Steven Pienaar who curls a shot towards the far top corner of the net and the ball clips the bar and drops behind.

Ayegbeni Yakubu does well down the left to keep the ball but his cross into the City box is hacked clear by Richard Dunne.

Michael Ball breaks into the left side of the Everton penalty area but Phil Jagielka is on hand to cut out the low cross into the middle.

Once again Joseph Yobo manages to keep Benjani Mwaruwari at bay as he tries to latch on to a through ball down the middle.

Benjani Mwaruwari makes a diagnol run into the area for a throughball but he is snuffed out by Joseph Yobo and the ball runs back to keeper Tim Howard.

To be fair to Everton they are getting bodies back in numbers so City are finding it very difficult to get any sort of openings on goal.

City have dominated possession in the past five minutes or so as they look to build up from the back and try to create an opening for the likes of Benjani Mwaruwari and Darius Vassell.

Ayegbeni Yakubu looks like he is about to get through on the City goal but the referee blows for a nudge on Richard Dunne.

City are holding the ball well and have made a series of passes around the middle of the pitch before Joleon Lescott has to get in another block to stop Darius Vassell's shot getting through to the goal.

It has been a fairly even opening to the game but Everton might feel they have had the betetr chances and should have had a spot kick.

Michael Ball's cross is knocked out for a corner by Leon Osman. It is taken by Martin Petrov but cleared and Dietmar Hamann's cross back in runs through to Tim Howard.

City go up the other end with Darius Vassell getting in a shot but it lacks power and direction and Everton get a goal kick.

Tony Hibbert tries his luck from the edge of the area for Everton but it drifts wide of the post.

Everton are denied a penalty as the falling Micah Richards puts his arm up to stop Tim Cahill's goalbound shot. The City defender got away with that one.

Steven Pienaar threads a ball into the area for Ayegbeni Yakubu to run on to and he gets around Joe Hart but the angle is too tight for him to score from and Richard Dunne gets in a block.

Another high ball into the Everton area has Tim Howard flapping again but this time he is saved as the referee adjudged that Benjani Mwaruwari fouled him.

City press again with Tim Howard electing to punch a high ball into the area away and the follow up is knocked behind the goal.

Everton do the early pressing before City break upfield with Darius Vassell's effort at goal blocked well by Phil Jagielka in the area.

We are underway at Eastlands as two sides with ambitions of Champions League qualification go head-to-head. A win for City will put them level on 47 points with the Toffees who will go back into fourth spot with a victory here.

Everton starting XI: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Neville, Carsley, Osman, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu.

Everton make three changes to the side that beat SK Brann 6-1 in the UEFA Cup last Thursday. Tony Hibbert, Leon Osman and Joseph Yobo replace Andrew Johnson, Mikel Arteta and Nuno Valente.

Man City starting XI: Hart, Onuoha, Dunne, Richards, Ball, Vassell, Gelson, Hamann, Ireland, Petrov, Benjani.

That means Elano and Vedran Corluka must settle for a place on the bench at Eastlands. Former Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari makes his home debut after scoring at United.

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson decides to stick with the side that defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford last time out.