Toffees leave City hopes in tatters
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, March 17, 2013
Ten-men Everton sounded a probable death knell on Manchester City's title defense with a hard-fought 2-0 win over the English Premier League champion at Goodison Park in Liverpool yesterday.
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Manchester City players dejected in the loss to Everton. |
Despite the second-half dismissal of Steven Pienaar, Everton dug deep for a victory that means Manchester United can go 15 points clear at the top of the table by winning at home to Reading later.
Leon Osman made the breakthrough for the host in the 32nd minute, meeting Seamus Coleman's lay-off with a swerving shot from 25 yards that deceived goalkeeper Joe Hart and flew into the top-left corner.
The momentum tilted in City's favor with half an hour to play when Pienaar was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a shin-high foul on Javi Garcia. However, Everton's second-choice goalkeeper Jan Mucha kept the visitor at bay, producing fine saves to thwart Carlos Tevez, James Milner and Pablo Zabaleta.
City was also denied a clear penalty in the 86th when referee Lee Probert awarded a free-kick for a hand-ball by Everton's Marouane Fellaini that occured inside the 18-yard box.
Substitute Nikica Jelavic curled in Everton's second goal in injury time to seal a win that lifted David Moyes' side to fifth place and banished memories of last weekend's abject loss to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.
An irate City manager Roberto Mancini failed to show for a post-match television interview.
City assistant manager David Platt said Mancini was too upset to address the media after the game.
"He's angry, as you can imagine," Platt told Sky Sports. "I think he's just taking stock of the situation and is calming himself down. He doesn't want to come out here and say things that might get him into trouble."
On the penalty incident, Platt said: "From where I was, live, he's given the handball; I don't know if it's inside the area or not.
"You've just played it to me (on a television replay) and it's not even on the line of the area, it's three yards inside. People can draw their own conclusions but we didn't get it.
"Perhaps we could have got more out of the game if the decisions had gone for us."
Later, Arsenal will bid to put its Champions League elimination by Bayern Munich behind it when it visits Swansea City.
Liverpool goes in search of a fourth consecutive league victory at Southampton.
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