City felt they should have had a penalty when Navas went down in the box, but they did get the equaliser in the 76th minute as they broke quickly from an Everton corner, Aguero controlled a long ball and fed in Navas, who finished well past Robles.
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Manuel Pellegrini faces an FA Cup selection dilemma at Norwich on Saturday as he attempts to keep Manchester City on track in four competitions. But the way we play, our mentality, we give chances but we also create a lot of chances.
The 30-year-old Spaniard was one of City’s best performers, with his introduction as a 54th-minute substitute injecting pace and a different attacking dimension into Manuel Pellegrini’s at times labouring side. Considering the topsy-turvy season the Merseysiders are having, the Spaniard appeared to just shoot his mouth off. But with the victory over City in the League Cup, Lukaku and Barkley add some substance to his words. “If you play the semifinal of the FA Cup and you are in the semifinal of the Champions League, then you do not have time to play one of the games”.
“The first-half, they scored a goal that is quite clearly offside, and in the second-half we should have had a penalty”, he fumed.
“Maybe it’s the image, the body language, but if you review the numbers of Yaya, each game he runs as much as every team-mate”.
“Goodison Park was rocking and the character we showed was incredible”, said Martinez.
The centre-back’s goal, his second of the season, on the stroke of half-time was followed by Jesus Navas’ equaliser and Romelu Lukaku’s 19th strike of the season in the second half as Everton secured a narrow advantage to take to the Etihad Stadium in three weeks. “I didn’t speak to the referee after the game – they were both clear”.
Everton’s home form has been patchy, with just three wins from its last 11 games at Goodison Park, but Roberto Martinez’s side was impressive after weathering a good early spell by City.
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“It (the first-leg win) means nothing”. There’s no training. No problem, really, I am responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible for our hamstring injuries, no it’s okay, that’s the next step I know this. Seamus Coleman and Tom Cleverley had more serious calf injuries.
