MAN CITY 1, EVERTON 1
Manchester City made a faltering and frustrating start to their home Premier League campaign as they were held at home by Everton.
It could have been worse, though, as though City looked to be heading for defeat until substitute Raheem Sterling conjured an equaliser eight minutes from time.
Sterling’s spectacular strike cancelled Wayne Rooney’s 200th Premier League goal that looked like being the matchwinner for a long period.
City, forced to play half the game with 10 men after Kyle Walker’s sending off, battled manfully against a well marshalled Toffees’ defence who restricted the home side to a handful of clear-cut chances.
But the lack of ideas to break through the Everton defence must have been a concern for City manager Pep Guardiola who admitted he feared his side may suffer from the same failing as last season.
He said: “We created three or four chances before Everton scored. Our amount of opportunities we created was good , but we never gave up and showed spirit.
“Last season were were either first or second in the chances created, but I think we only scored one in six.
“Nobody can say we didn’t try, but like always you analyse the result and the result was not good enough, but it was good that we fought back with 10 men.”
Leroy Sane for Danilo was the one City change from the side that won at Brighton on the opening day.
Everton had eight English players in their starting line up as England manager Gareth Southgate watched from the sidelines with vital World Cup qualifiers looming.
Young Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin fired an early warning to City as he fired narrowly wide.
Everton defended in numbers as City struggled to make inroads as it took until the 26th minute before they carved out their first clear-cut chance.
Centre-back Nicolas Otamendi’s drive from 25 yards forced a decent save from Jordan Pickford. The ball bounced out to Sergio Aguero whose goalbound chip was headed over his own crossbar by Phil Jagielka.
City had another great chance when Aguero broke clear but, just as he was about to pull the trigger, Jagielka slid in with a goal-saving challenge.
David Silva then fired against the upright as City cranked up the tempo and it looked only a matter of time before they went ahead.
But it was Everton who stole ahead in the 35th minute, very much against the run of play.
Calvert-Lewin played in Rooney whose shot went through the legs of keeper Ederson Moraes on his home debut and in off the upright.
Rooney later described himself as being “overjoyed” to score and that the goal will have been savoured in the red half of the city.
And Rooney, who scored more Manchester derby goals against City than any other United player, was later informed he had run 11km, more than any other Everton player.
“Not bad for somebody who has lost their fitness,” he quipped.
City’s hopes of getting back into the match received a setback when Walker was sent off on the stroke of half time for picking up two bookings in as many matches.
The second followed what replays showed was an innocuous challenge and certainly didn’t merit or warrant a second yellow card by referee Robert Madley.
City made a change at the break taking off Gabriel Jesus and replacing him with Sterling.
Danilo replaced John Stones midway through the second period as Guardiola looked for a way back into the game as Everton continued to frustrate.
And Sane soon made way for Bernardo Silva, City’s third and final change.
Sterling saw a terrific drive from 35 yards narrowly clear the crossbar as City were forced to shoot from distance then blazed over from inside the penalty area when superbly placed.
City went close when Danilo’s angled shot was deflected to safety by Pickford as City still were unable to find a route to goal.
But their efforts were finally rewarded with an equaliser eight minutes from time.
Bernardo Silva’s right-wing cross was headed out by Mason Holgate, but only as far as Sterling who spectacularly volleyed home from 12 yards.
Everton were also reduced to 10 men, but with only two minutes left when Morgan Schneiderlin picked up a second booking.
City were unable to conjure a winner in the remaining 12 minutes – there were four of added time – as Everton defended heroically to earn a deserved point.