On the whistle match report - Everton vs Man City 31/3/2018

Manchester City have now beaten every team in the Premier League this season with a 3-1 victory over Everton as Pep Guardiola's side are still on course to seal the Premier League title against Manchester United at Old Trafford next weekend.

With just 22 passes after 22 minutes of football, BT Sport could be forgiven for not showing Everton in their advertisement for the match. City's first half possession was recorded as 82.3%, the highest total since OPTA data became available in 2003.

Tom Davies' introduction early in the second half sprung some life into The Toffees but any hopes of a comeback sparked by Yannick Bolasie's first goal in 525 days faded as City regained control of a game they were never going to lose.

Guardiola's worries of rust after the international break were dashed after just four minutes as Leroy Sane thumped City into the lead. Having had almost all of the ball from kick-off, David Silva surged into the box, looping a cross across goal for Sane to volley home.

Everton faced a struggle to get back in the game at this point but Yannick Bolasie was presented a golden opportunity to equalise 10 minutes in. The Toffees sprung to life and some much-needed pressure squeezed City into their own half. But Bolasie headed over from 8 yards out.

From the resulting goal kick Everton found themselves 2-0 down. Ederson quickly picked out Sane who put De Bruyne through in a 3-on-1 counter attack just seconds after almost conceding. Gabriel Jesus was waiting in the centre to head home City's second.

Everton disappeared from the game and on the 37th minute were seemingly consigned to a defeat when Raheem Sterling scored his 21st goal of the season. In complete control of proceedings, it was a tale of when rather than if City would score a third and once again it was David Silva that proved the spark. The Spaniard raced through Everton's high line to tee up a tap in for the former Liverpool man.

Sam Allardyce faced an impossible task to get his Everton team back into the game after half time. They continued to fail to disrupt their opponent's dominance and it was only on the 62nd minute an already emptying Goodison Park had something to cheer. Bolasie picked up the ball with no real threat but cutting inside, his early shot caught City by surprise as the ball bounced in off the post.

The game had been won in the first half. Everton couldn't break down a City side who have lost just one game in the past 39. Finishing the game with a record possession total – away from home – the game proved to be a simple training session ahead of The Citizen's Champions League quarter final on Wednesday.