So, no Christmas miracle for the man christened Josep. Instead, his new normal continued. Pep Guardiola has won 12 league titles but now he can’t win a game. It is a solitary victory in 13 attempts for his malfunctioning Manchester City team; an unlucky 13, perhaps, except that arguably City got what they deserved. Wasteful in attack, brittle in defence, ponderous in possession, they lost another lead at the Etihad Stadium. They dropped two more points. With every setback, it feels more feasible next season’s Champions League will not feature the club who won the trophy 18 months ago.
And with every display of bloody-minded resolve, it seems more probable that Bramley-Moore Dock will host Premier League football. Everton may be buoyed by the Friedkin Group’s takeover but they have also been cheered by the resistance of Sean Dyche’s band of grafters. A hat-trick of draws have been ground out, but unlike the stalemates with Arsenal and Chelsea, this was garnished by a goal, a glorious strike from Iliman Ndiaye. The other decisive contribution, unsurprisingly, came from Jordan Pickford. Exceptional of late, the goalkeeper was not overworked but he distinguished himself with a penalty save from Erling Haaland. “Credit to him,” said Dyche. “He had to make a decision and made the right one.”
