Everton piled the pressure on to Liverpool in the battle for next season's final Champions League spot with a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester City on Monday.
First-half goals from Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Joleon Lescott ensured David Moyes's side came away from the City of Manchester stadium with three points which lifted them back into the top four at the expense of their Merseyside rivals.
The win also sent Everton six points clear of Manchester City and, on this evidence, Sven Goran Eriksson's side will struggle to get their own bid to join Europe's elite back on track.
PHOTO: AFP
City, who finished the match with ten men after Martin Petrov received a late red card, were a pale imitation of the side that beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in their last league outing and Everton could have been ahead after only six minutes.
South African midfielder Steven Pienaar found space on the left and sent in a superb cross towards Yakubu, who was foiled by the close attention of City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
A minute later, referee Rob Styles waved away Everton claims for a penalty after a shot by Tim Cahill struck the arm of Micah Richards.
Darius Vassell produced City's first shot on target after a one-two with Gelson Fernandes in the 16th minute but it was no surprise when the visitors took the lead on the half hour mark, Yakubu stabbing home his 16th goal of the season after good work by Cahill in the box.
Pienaar had seen a shot come back off the post with Hart beaten just before Yakubu's owner and Everton capitalized on their dominance by doubling their lead seven minutes before the break.
Midfielder Lee Carsley sent in a superb cross to the back post and England defender Lescott got there ahead of Richard Dunne to head his side into what was to prove an unassailable lead.
Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari was making his home debut after an outstanding goalscoring debut at Old Trafford but he struggled to make an impact on this encounter, played in teeming rain under the watchful eye of England boss Fabio Capello.
Eriksson introduced Elano in place of Dietmar Hamann at half-time but the Brazilian could not provide the missing spark for City and Everton continued to dominate after the restart.
Phil Neville should at least have hit the target after being teed up by Pienaar in the 47th minute and Everton almost made it 3-0 six minutes later, when Cahill's shot was cleared off the line by Dunne.
Only a fine save from Hart prevented Carsley from capping a superb display at the base of Everton's midfield diamond with a goal from a well-struck free-kick and a miserable night for City was summed up when Petrov was dismissed in stoppage time for aiming a petulant kick at Leon Osman.
The kick carried little risk of causing injury but it will still go down as violent conduct and the Bulgarian winger now faces a three-match ban.
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