He’s finished, you know. He doesn’t score, he doesn’t contribute. He should have just packed it in, or gone to China or the United States, for the money. He has nothing left to give to Premier League football.
Yet somehow, here Wayne Rooney is. Two games, two goals, a hugely impressive point this time away to one of the title favourites. This was so close to being the stuff of dreams for Rooney. The winner, back in Manchester, at the home of avowed rivals.
Instead he was denied by an 82nd minute goal from Raheem Sterling. Still, it was better than all but the most diehard Evertonian would have expected. This was supposed to be a comfortable three points for City, who last dropped points in the opening game of the season in 2006. Instead, they had to fight all the way.
David Silva punches the air after seeing Sterling’s effort draw City level late on against Everton at the Etihad
Wayne Rooney cups his ears after scoring the goal to put Everton ahead against his old foes Manchester City
City’s evening took another turn south when summer arrival Kyle Walker was sent off just before half-time
Walker was sent off for a second bookable offence after what looked a soft foul on Everton youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Ultimately, intense pressure – even with 10 men, following the harsh dismissal of Kyle Walker – told. Danilo crossed, Mason Holgate’s header fell short, Sterling finally beat Jordan Pickford with his shot.
Morgan Schneiderlin was sent-off, rightly, for a foul on Sergio Aguero, but it was too late for City to take full advantage. They had to content themselves with jeering Rooney as he was withdrawn during Koeman’s reorganisation. He’ll take that all night.
Rooney won’t have had it much harder than in his games against City, and this was no different. The abuse and taunts were constant: the revenge served white hot. Even better than cold, done that way.
Fireworks go off ahead of the pre-match presentations as City’s players enter the Etihad pitch for the first time this season
The smoke from the pre-match pyrotechnics gave the early stages an atmospheric feel as the smoke lingered in the ground
And Everton hung on for a point. Somehow a team built largely on youth, with eight English starting players – the most the club has sent out this century – held against the might of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Jordan Pickford, in goal, was outstanding, so too the defence. Every Evertonian worked his socks off, and Ronald Koeman marshalled them well.
City will feel they had the best of the game, the majority of the chances – and they did – but it was impossible not to admire Everton’s resilience. It is Chelsea up next, and they will present another genuine test for the champions.
Could the first-half have gone worse for Manchester City. Hardly? Not just a goal, but a goal from Wayne Rooney. Not just a red card, but a red card in the most ludicrous circumstances for Kyle Walker. It wasn’t deserved and some would add neither was Everton’s lead – yet there was resilience from Ronald Koeman’s side, and the energy of youth. The goal may have been scored by a man who has been around long enough to have scored 200 Premier League goals, but it was set up by Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Everton’s future.
Schneilderlin could have no compaints as he was booked by referee Robert Madley for his foul on Aguero
Everton’s visit to the Etihad saw Rooney go up against old foe Vincent Kompany, here the City captain wins a header
There was minute’s applause in tribute to the victims of the terror attacks in Manchester and Barcelona in the 22nd minute
Gabriel Jesus manages to fire in an effort at goal as Ashley Williams tries to get in a block during the first half
So while City were unlucky with the sending-off, there can be no complaints about the goal. It stemmed from a City error in midfield, and the defence and new goalkeeper were hardly covered in glory by the conclusion, either. Against the run of play, yes, but undeserved, no, given City’s part in their downfall.
Leroy Sane, deployed as a glorified left wing-back gave the ball away to Holgate, who fed the lively Calvert-Lewin. His run was excellent, City’s attempt to thwart it less so. A final attempt to cut out the cross was missed, and the ball was fed inside to Rooney. He’d been quiet so far, but here was a chance to silence some of his most vocal detractors.
He opened his body and put the ball through the legs of new goalkeeper Ederson. It clipped his heel on the way through, but was going in anyway. A moment of supreme vindication. He wheeled away, hands cupping his ears, drinking in, first the silence, then the shock and anger. And there was plenty of it. They had been expecting a procession of easy victories, like the lot down the road. This was far removed in the script.
David Silva came within inches of putting the home side ahead but saw his effort come back off the base of the post
The newly-bald Spaniard reacts with disappointment after seeing his effort go so close to giving his side the lead
Moments later at the other end Rooney gave Everton the lead as the ball slipped through City keeper Ederson
Rooney got on the end of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s pull back and watched as his first-time effort trickled over the line
Up in the stand, Jose Mourinho looked on, his identity barely protected by a low fitted baseball caps. Also present was Sir Alex Ferguson. The temple of doom, he once called City’s new home. Inside, he must have been loving this.
If he possesses a sense of fair play that overrides personal loyalty, however, he must have felt for City just before half-time. No complaints about Walker’s booking for a foul on Leighton Baines in the 42nd minute – there were a few lively tackles in the first-half and this was among them. Yet his dismissal for a perceived elbow on Calvert-Lewin seemed incredibly harsh.
The pair appeared to come together around a high ball, no more. It was hard to see a raised arm from Walker, or a moment when he didn’t have his eyes on the ball. Calvert-Lewin went down, though, and referee Robert Madley saw foul play. He showed Walker his second yellow to general astonishment.
Walker got his marching orders for a second bookable offence following this coming together with Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin lays prone on the ground after being barged by Walker, the City man earned a second yellow for the incident
Kompany and several City players surround referee Madley as the official dishes out a red card to an incredulous Walker
City boss Pep Guardiola continued his complaints, along with Walker, to fourth official Michael Oliver on the touchline
It will hardly have helped the mood that an Everton man, Tom Davies, had already been booked for diving, having ensured he clipped and tripped over Nicolas Otamendi on the run. Pep Guardiola is not one to shore up a ten man team with overly defensive measures, however, certainly not when chasing the game. At half-time he brought off forward Gabriel Jesus – but his replacement was Raheem Sterling, taking Walker’s role.
Even Guardiola’s defenders are defenders much of the time, it seems. Two of Jordan Pickford’s saves in the first-half – and this was a good night for the young man, in front of England manager Gareth Southgate – came from shots by Otamendi, a centre-half.
Other avenues to goal adhered to convention. David Silva hit a post, set up by Sergio Aguero, while Phil Jagielka was in excellent form, repelling City’s striker on many fronts. He cleared an attempted lob off the line after 26 minutes and, from the next attack, recovered to deny him in even more spectacular fashion.
As Guardiola reshuffled his pack at the break he introduced Raheem Sterling, here the substitute brought down by Baines
Kevin De Bruyne had a good opportunity from a free-kick 25 yards out but fired his effort straight into the wall
Everton introduced £45million new signing Gylfi Sigurdsson in the second half as they tried to hang on to their lead
Bernardo Silva was summoned off the bench for City as they chased the game, here the former Monaco man fires at goal
City captain Kompany cannot hide his frustration as they try to get back into the game against visitors Everton
Sterling struck in the 82nd minute as City’s pressure finally told, Mason Holgate’s error handing him the chance
Kevin De Bruyne set up the move, Aguero moving into the penalty area when, at a vital moment, Jagielka slipped. A goal looked certain now, yet Aguero delayed and delayed and Jagielka somehow moved his prone body into the right position to block. Incredible stuff.
Rooney gave the ball away sloppily in midfield and City broke, Jesus disappointing with his shot easily mopped up by Pickford, but Everton kept it tidy and tight for all City’s pressure.
It can be hard to win games with the lofty ambition of the Guardiola way, certainly in the Premier League where resistance is strong. Anyone who thinks City get it all their way this season may be in for a rude awakening.
