Everton 0 – 2 Manchester City

Manchester City remain on track to qualify for next season’s Champions League after winning at Everton with two late goals.

An uninspiring contest looked to be heading for a drab draw before being brought to life with six minutes remaining when young full-back Nico O’Reilly stole in from close range to convert Matheus Nunes’ cutback.

Substitute Mateo Kovacic added a second in injury time on the stretch as Pep Guardiola’s men climbed to fourth in the table, four points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea, who face neighbours Fulham on Sunday.

The first half was often flat and made for a poor spectacle, with Everton’s best chance going the way of centre-back James Tarkowski, who rose highest to James Garner’s corner and flicked a header against the post.

On the stroke of half-time, City could have gone ahead with a rapid break forward but Kevin de Bruyne saw his goalbound strike brilliantly cleared off the line by Jake O’Brien’s diving header.

Savinho’s low drive was kept out by Jordan Pickford’s sharp save in the second period, before City had the final say.

Man City need midfield rebuild

City have competed in Europe’s elite club competition for 14 consecutive seasons – but with the clock on 84 minutes at Goodison Park, that sequence was under real threat. Then came the rally for a monumental victory in the context of their season.

They host in-form Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday and the result there may well go a long way to ensuring City’s status in the top echelon of the European club game next season.

Guardiola’s side have dominated English football by winning four titles in a row – the only club to achieve that feat – but their long stranglehold on the trophy is about to end, and will do so as early as Sunday if Arsenal lose to Ipswich and Liverpool beat Leicester.

City have had a long injury list to contend with this season and there was a real lack of quality on show in the final third at Goodison Park, with youngster O’Reilly and Kovacic needed to bail them out.

Ilkay Gundogan made Pickford work with a rasping strike straight at the goalkeeper, but the 34-year-old was on the periphery of the game and has made little impact since returning to the club from Barcelona.

De Bruyne was the star man against Crystal Palace last time out but the 33-year-old is into his final few games as a City player before he leaves the club this summer.

The Belgian has suffered injuries and his waning influence was often evident against Everton with miskicks and miscued passes in the final third.

But they left Goodison Park for the final time have won their last eight Premier League games here against Everton and stretching their top-flight run to five unbeaten games at the right time of the campaign.

Tarkowski injury adds to Toffees’ woe

Everton, in the midst of a run where they face five of the league’s top six, looked to be heading for another excellent result but for City’s late show.

The Toffees picked up an impressive late win at Nottingham Forest last Saturday, but were on the receiving end of two goals in the dying minutes here.

David Moyes suffered just his third defeat since returning as boss in January, but has now gone 16 games without winning against City.

His team had their chances, having frustrated their opponents for long periods.

Jarrad Branthwaite’s looped header was clawed out by Stefan Ortega and Abdoulaye Doucoure’s strike from the angle was pushed away by the City stand-in goalkeeper.

Tarkowski came closest to breaking the deadlock for the hosts when hitting the woodwork, but the defender hobbled off in the opening period with an apparent hamstring injury.

The centre-back has started 111 consecutive games for Everton, three short of the outfield record held by Wayne Bridge, and he only has a week to recover before their next game at Chelsea on Saturday.