Pep Guardiola and unlikely protagonist show Man City are alive and well despite recent wobble

On a day when the result of a football match seemed almost irrelevant, Manchester City nevertheless secured an important win against Everton to maintain their place at the top of the Premier League table.

As was the case against Spurs last weekend, City did not put on a vintage display at Goodison Park, yet still found a way to win courtesy of a poacher's finish from Phil Foden in the 82nd minute.

With Liverpool not in league action this weekend due to their involvement in today's Carabao Cup final, defeat would have left City nervously waiting to see if Jurgen Klopp's side would win their game-in-hand to go top of the standings.

While City and Pep Guardiola will of course be frustrated that their lead has been cut from 14 to three points over the past month-and-a-half, the full-time scenes on Merseyside suggested that all is just as it should be inside the City camp.

Pep giving it the biggen

Pep Guardiola isn't known for exuberantly celebrating his team's victories - he tends to leave that to Jurgen Klopp - but after his side had seen out over eight minutes of injury time on Saturday, he made an exception.

As the City contingent made their way towards the tunnel in the corner of the ground, the travelling City supporters serenaded their heroes with applause, particularly in support of the Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Guardiola particularly enjoyed the reception his players received, so much so that he milked the ovation by gesticulating that the away end should raise the volume further.

Before following his players down the tunnel he blew kisses to his adoring followers, perhaps not the reaction you would expect from a manager whose team again struggled to control a game in the manner he would have liked.

Clearly,