Everton’s emotions on the final whistle told the story of this game.

James Tarkowski exchanged words with Erling Haaland before Pep Guardiola intervened in the centre circle. Jordan Pickford, the last player off the pitch, shook his head and gave a rueful smile as he stepped off the turf. David Moyes applauded the away end while looking as though his thoughts were elsewhere.

They probably were. A glance at the 2-0 scoreline would give the impression of a predictable affair, one of an hour of stubbornness from Everton before the might of Manchester City proved too much for them to handle. The reality is somewhat different. This was a tale of the Blues’ progress and its limitations.

OPINION

For an 60 minutes, Everton matched their illustrious hosts almost blow-for-blow as the sides exchanged chances. The Etihad has yielded valuable draws in recent years for Everton but they were built on rearguard defensive displays. A result felt possible here for two thirds of the match and did...