Everton 0-2 Man City: Nico O’Reilly shines late to keep European Cup dreams alive for soon-to-be dethroned champions | OneFootball

On the eve of visiting Everton, a frank omission was made by Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola, who feels his side could miss out on summer transfer targets if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

An unlikely, if not improbable, scenario given the club’s position of strength following a fourth successive Premier League title win, has now become a reality. City are currently sitting in fourth, but have played one more game than others battling for the spot, following their 2-0 success at Goodison Park this afternoon.

Newcastle, in third place, are one point ahead of the soon-to-be-dethroned English champions, while Aston Villa sits in seventh place, just four points behind. If we assume that Liverpool and Arsenal are likely to qualify, then five clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, will compete for three spots in the final weeks of the season.

What nearly tripped City up on Merseyside was another road trip in which they seemingly forgot their scoring boots. Heading into this contest, they had netted just twice in five away Premier League matches, failing to score in their last two. You have to go back to December 2015 under Manuel Pellegrini for the last time City blanked in three consecutive away games.

The hero in their 2-1 comeback win at Bournemouth, booking a place in this season’s FA Cup semi-final, Nico O’Reilly, starting in his fourth successive Premier League outing, doubled his tally for the club—after registering his first goal last time out against Crystal Palace—when he broke the deadlock five minutes from the end.

Everton had defended valiantly up to that moment—reducing City to 10 shots with six on target—but that effort was like a dagger to the heart. No sooner were the visitors celebrating than Mateo Kovacic ensured all three points were coming back to Manchester with a stoppage-time strike.

Goals from unlikely sources would undoubtedly reassure Guardiola, who left Phil Foden and Jack Grealish on the bench, with Jérémy Doku coming on for the final 12 minutes. Omar Marmoush was again busy in front of goal, with one shot on target from three attempts—more than any City player. He also created a team-high three scoring opportunities while completing five of his seven take-on attempts.

Marmoush was one of six players to join City this season, with all but one coming in January. The Egyptian forward by far cost the most, as Eintracht Frankfurt received £59m for his services. Guardiola and company sought to belatedly replace Julian Alvarez after the form of Kevin De Bruyne and Foden dropped off.

He caught the eye with a prolific record in the Bundesliga — 15 goals and 10 assists in 17 matches — but struggled initially, going goalless in his first four appearances, including a difficult afternoon at League One side Leyton Orient. However, that changed in the space of 13 minutes against Newcastle, as the Cairo native introduced himself to the Premier League with a first-half hat-trick against Eddie Howe’s side. He now has seven goals in his last 11 appearances.

“The numbers are really good. He arrived in the middle of the season, in a moment when we are not good,” Guardiola said before today. “When everything is fluid and fine it is easy to adapt. But to come when the team is not playing good, that is a big credit.”

But it’s the 20-year-old homegrown full-back O’Reilly taking all the plaudits. He’s now had a hand in six goals across his last six appearances for City in all competitions (four goals, two assists), with his performance today, at 20 years and 29 days, making him the fourth-youngest player to score in back-to-back Premier League appearances for the club after Kelechi Iheanacho (19 years and 211 days), Gabriel Jesus (19 years and 308 days), and Phil Foden (20 years and 25 days).

Kovačić, ten years O’Reilly’s senior, scored in back-to-back Premier League appearances for the first time in his 199th game in the competition. He has now scored more goals in 2024–25 (6) than in all six of his previous Premier League campaigns combined (5).

The former Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder is expected to be part of Guardiola’s next season but it remains to be seen what the rest of City’s makeup will be especially with the big hole of losing Kevin De Bruyne needing to be filled and their Spanish tactican wasnt mincing words when discussing the importance of having Champions League football at the Ethiad.

“It depends on the players we want and whether they just have one option,” he said. “If they have many, I’m pretty sure the players take a look at the ones in the Champions League, of course.”

As for Everton, the specter of relegation no longer looms after the good rescue job David Moyes has done in his second spell as manager, but they have won just two of their last ten league games (D6, L2), with both wins coming away from Goodison Park.

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