Ilkay Gundogan‘s two goals and assist for Erling Haaland proved the difference for the Blues as we opened up a four point gap at the top of the table.
It means we have lost just one of our last 20 Premier League meetings with Everton and have now won on our last six trips to Goodison Park.
Match report | Everton 0-3 City
As the result would suggest, Pep Guardiola‘s side came out on top in most areas of the game. We had 63.2% of the ball and completed 610 passes compared to Everton’s 324.
We also took on more shots, with four of our nine efforts on target.
Everton, however, did have seven attempts of their own and racked up a better xG (1.78 v City’s 0.76) largely down to Mason Holgate’s missed chance moments before we took the lead.
Here we’ll take a closer look at the rest of the key stats that came from the win...
Another winning run
We have won each of our last 11 matches in the Premier League. No manager has more winning streaks of 10 or more matches in the Premier League, with Guardiola having done it five times at City.
In fact, the last three instances of a side putting together such a lengthy winning run have all been Guardiola‘s City. Previously we saw a 12-game run ending in January 2022 and a 15-game run that ended in March 2021, helping position us for our last two title triumphs.
With this run we have reclaimed top spot in the Premier League and are now just three points from a third successive title.
When the pressure is on, Guardiola and his players take their game to a new level.
Ilkay’s day
Sunday was all about Ilkay Gundogan.
Our captain made his 300th City appearance, scored two, assisted another and received universal acclaim for his contribution since arriving in Manchester in 2016.
Guardiola was effusive in his praise of the midfielder after the game, saying: “Ilkay shows again and again the quality, his importance and his commitment to all of us and the Club.
“Not just scoring goals, but he has his momentum because against Leeds he was the player and today again. He can do everything and he does it well.”
The German international has been pivotal to the 11 major honours we have lifted since becoming the first signing of the Guardiola era.
On Sunday, he focused on bursting into the box and finding the gaps left by defenders distracted by the presence of Haaland.
It paid dividends with his first goal and meant he was in an advanced position to cross for Haaland to head home the second.
His incredible versatilty could not be more obvious than when considering the difference in total passes completed between Sunday and last week’s defeat of Leeds.
He scored twice in both games, but found a team-mate a whopping 171 times against Leeds. With a much more advanced position at Everton, he attempted just 31 passes.
Whatever the teams needs of him, Ilkay will provide.
Assist kings
Riyad Mahrez registered his 10th assist of the Premier League season, his most in a single league campaign for Manchester City.
Along with Kevin De Bruyne (16), it’s the first time we have had two players reach 10+ assists in a Premier League season since 2019-20 (De Bruyne and David Silva).
Haaland’s away form
It seems like Erling Haaland has smashed City and Premier League records left, right and centre all season.
However, he’ll be looking for at least two goals in the trips to Brighton and Brentford to claim another.
Only Sergio Agüero (15 in 2016-17) has scored more away goals in a Premier League campaign for the club than Haaland this season (14).
Premier League stats of the season so far
Erling Haaland remains the league’s leading scorer with 36 strikes. He is nine ahead of nearest challenger Harry Kane.
Kevin De Bruyne couldn’t add to his assists tally on Sunday, but remains five ahead of Bukayo Saka.
Our 92 goals so far is nine ahead of next best Arsenal. We have made 23,138 passes, a total almost 3000 better than next best Liverpool.
