‘As soon as’… Chris Sutton pinpoints the exact moment Everton lost the game vs Man City

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Everton suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was a battling performance by David Moyes’ side, who looked well worth a point until Man City really asserted control in the final 10 minutes.

Everton remain in 13th, above the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, quite remarkably.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
11	BrentfordBrentford	33	13	7	13	56	50	6	46
12	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	33	11	11	11	41	45	-4	44
13	EvertonEverton	33	8	14	11	34	40	-6	38
14	Man UtdManchester United	32	10	8	14	38	45	-7	38
15	TottenhamTottenham	32	11	4	17	60	49	11	37

Two late goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic snatched all three points for the reigning Premier League champions.

Pep Guardiola was incredibly complimentary about Everton speaking in his post-match interview as he hailed their threat from set-pieces.

Chris Sutton believes Everton were unlucky not to walk away with a point as he pinpointed the exact moment they lost the game.

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Chris Sutton says James Tarkowski injury was the turning point

James Tarkowski has been a stalwart for Everton this season, and he’s formed a brilliant partnership with Jarrad Branthwaite.

So when Tarkowski was forced off shortly after half-time, it was a major blow for Moyes’ men and Sutton believes it cost them the game.

“Everton deserved something from the game, Rob (Savage),” Sutton said.

“Tarkowski going off, Michael Keane came on and he’s a good pro, he really struggled. As soon as he went off, Rob, they really missed him. It’s a massive win for Manchester City.”

Don Hutchinson slammed Michael Keane and said he was ‘all over the place’ when he replaced Tarkowski in the 52nd minute.

David Moyes agrees

Speaking after the game, Moyes agrees with Sutton’s verdict as he felt Tarkowski’s injury changed the course of the game for the hosts.

“I thought for 60 minutes we did a lot of good things,” Moyes explained.

“I thought we played well in the first half but the injury to James Tarkowski was a big blow to us. It affected the side.

“It tells you a lot that we’re disappointed that we’ve lost to Manchester City. Ultimately we didn’t do well enough in the last 15-20 minutes and that cost us.”

Yesterday’s game further highlights how important it is for Everton to sign a centre-back this summer transfer window.

The Toffees’ are keeping tabs on Burnley’s Maxime Esteve, who is believed to be valued at in excess of £30m after a sensational season in the Championship.