Everton 0-3 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points as Cityzens move a step closer to Premier League title | Premier League 2022-23

It was smooth sailing for Pep Guardiola's men as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 win against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, May 14 at Goodison Park.

Everton, who were looking to stave off relegation with a positive result against the league leaders, made a solitary change, with Mason Holgate replacing the injured Vitalii Mykolenko.

Manchester City, on the other hand, made four changes keeping in mind their upcoming Champions League semi-final second-leg clash against Real Madrid. John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish all dropped to the bench.

Early on, City found it hard to crack Everton's defense. The Toffees were content to stay back and looked to hit Guardiola's side on the counter.

The deadlock was broken by a moment of individual brilliance from Ilkay Gundogan in the 37th minute. After receiving the ball in the box with his back to goal, the German midfielder produced a sensational flick to beat Jordan Pickford and open the scoring.

Manchester City wasted no time in doubling their lead, as Gundogan turned provider for Erling Haaland two minutes later. The midfielder lifted a ball in from the left flank and the Norwegian striker made no mistake in heading home from close range.

Early in the second half, Gundogan put the result to bed with a stunning free-kick from the edge of the box.

Everton failed to threaten City's goal throughout the game. Late on, they came close through James Tarkowski, whose header struck the bar, but the Cityzens closed the game out well. They have now taken a four-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Arsenal's clash against Brighton and Hove Albion. Here are five talking points from the game:

#5. Erling Haaland continues his sensational form

Manchester City struggled to bring their talismanic striker into the game during the early exchanges. Everton were content with defending narrow and closing the passing lanes to Haaland, who barely had a touch in the first quarter of the match. However, the Norwegian proved that he doesn't need many touches to stamp his influence on the game, scoring his 36th goal of the Premier League campaign with a brilliant header. With 52 goals this season, Haaland has been a driving factor as Pep's side chase a historic treble.

#4. The title race is all but over

Manchester City have been known to move into an extra gear towards the end of the season over the past few years. They have done just that this season as well, picking up a sensational run of form to leapfrog Arsenal into first place. With a four-point lead at the top and just three games to go, the Gunners will need a miracle if they want to lift the Premier League at the end of the season.

#3. Everton could end up in the bottom three

Sean Dyche's men looked likely candidates to be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season. However, a shock 5-1 win over Brighton last weekend gave the Toffees a much-needed boost ahead of a home clash against Manchester City. However, they were comprehensively outplayed and with just two games to go, are just a point above the relegation zone.

#2. Ilkay Gundogan is in brilliant form

The German midfielder has been simply sensational for Manchester City in recent weeks. Against Everton, he opened the floodgates with a magical goal, then quickly turned provider for Haaland. He bagged his second consecutive Premier League brace with a free-kick in the second half, finishing with two goals and an assist. With his contract set to expire in the summer, Manchester City should look to extend his stay at the Etihad.

#1. Manchester City are on pace for a historic season

Pep Guardiola's side look to be in cruise control once again towards the end of the season. They have all but wrapped up the Premier League title and are on course for a treble. With a vital Champions League second-leg clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday and an FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United next month, Guardiola's 2022-23 side may go down in history as one of the greatest ever.