Man City back up Guardiola's trophy claim in four-minute frenzy vs Everton

Manchester City looked like they were about to crumble when Mason Holgate somehow blazed over the bar from four yards out, unmarked, and Kyle Walker had just been needed to stop Dominic Calvert-Lewin unleashing a shot after another dangerous break. The noise inside Goodison Park was rising, and Everton had the momentum.

The Blues needed something to silence the crowd and stop the Everton push, so Ilkay Gundogan's brilliant flick back behind him and past Jordan Pickford was not only an incredible goal but one at a very important time.

And a minute later, Erling Haaland woke up from a quiet performance to head home Gundogan's perfect cross. From almost certainly going behind, four minutes earlier, City were suddenly in complete control and Goodison was silent. With a mix of quality, ruthlessness and luck, it was the kind of spell that defines champions, and it kept City on course for the title on an afternoon where that was far from guaranteed.

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From the start, Manu Akanji lined up at left-back in the absence of Nathan Ake, yet this was another tactical switch-up for the versatile defender as he was effectively an extra midfielder in possession for City. With Akanji playing in the area of a conventional central midfielder, and Aymeric Laporte pushing up alongside a tired Rodri at the base of midfield, Ruben Dias was often holding the fort as the sole defender at times.

Pep Guardiola spent much of his time between plays calling Akanji over, sometimes with Laporte, and encouraging the pair if they mis-stepped in their new positions.

Even after Guardiola has challenged all of his defenders to push up into midfield this season, perhaps barring Dias, and most