On an afternoon in which Everton could have taken another step toward Premier League safety, what mattered most might have taken place just over 200 miles south of Goodison Park.
Everton fought hard against Manchester City but were ultimately outclassed by one of the best teams in world football. This was a defeat that was frustrating but it did not reveal much about the Blues’ chances in this relegation battle.
The event that did offer new insight unfolded not in L4 but in London, where Brentford played West Ham United and former Everton boss David Moyes, with eyes on his side’s Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday, made seven changes and his reserves offered little opposition as they fell to defeat. West Ham’s final two games in the league are against Everton’s biggest rivals in the bid to avoid the drop - Leeds United and Leicester City.
