That’s all for today. Luke McLaughlin is covering the 3pm games and will also direct you to our City v Everton match report when it lands. See you a bit later for Wolves v Man Utd.

Manuel Akanji’s reaction

[Was a draw a fair result?] I don’t think so, no. We did way more for the game, created lots of chances and conceded a goal out of nothing. But that’s how it is.

We could’ve scored three or four goals but the ball didn’t want to go in. I’ll be honest with you: it can’t happen that we nearly lose the game in the last minute. We’re trying to attack but then we lose the ball and it was like a 6-v-2 situation. Luckily I blocked the shot. Things like this can’t happen.

[Are you still in the title race?] The season is not finished but that’s not our target. We need to focus game by game. Leicester away won’t be easy now with the shape we’re in.

90+6 min: What a chance for Everton! Broja again turns superbly and suddenly Everton have a four-on-two break. Four on two! Eventually he gives the ball to Harrison, whose shot is crucially blocked by Akanji. I’d like to see that again but it felt like Broja didn’t have the right angle to put somebody clean through on goal.

90+4 min Foden is booked for pulling back Broja, who has protected the ball really well since coming on.

90+3 min A really promising Everton break, sparked by a neat turn from Broja, ends with Gueye’s cross being blocked by Gvardiol at the near post. At one stage they had four on four and City were in trouble.

90+1 min Savinho’s pass, intended for De Bruyne, is mishit but runs kindly for Lewis, who whips over the bar from 16 yards. Half a chance.

90+1 min There will be six added minutes.

90 min: Everton substitution Nathan Patterson replaces Seamus Coleman.

90 min “Hi Rob,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Has a consensus pick for the world’s best player ever looked better than Rodri does now?”

Good question. Roy Race?

89 min Plenty of City pressure now, though it’s all a bit scruffy and desperate. A draw wouldn’t flatter Everton.

87 min De Bruyne gets away on the right side of the penalty area, the space in which he is so dangerous, but his cross is crucially blocked at the near post. Branthwaite is then booked for a tackle on Savinho.

85 min: Double substitution for City Ilkay Gundogan and and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey replace Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic.

84 min “Delighted to read Paul McGrory’s recollection of that 3pm Ireland vs Poland Euro 92 qualifier,” writes Bob H. “It wasn’t the only game that kicked off early thanks to Lansdowne’s lack of floodlights, as Paul mentions. I remember being in class while the Ireland vs England game was on and the principal announcing over the PA in the most ‘school principal’ tones possible, ‘For those of you interested in the football, I have some bad news: David Platt has just scored for England.’ Cue an entire school’s worth of groans and angry yells. We didn’t learn about the equaliser until we’d got home. Great days.”

83 min: Just wide from Mangala! A cross from the left is cleared as far as Mangala on the edge of the area. He smashes a low shot that is going wide of the near post until it takes a huge deflection off Akanji and flashes just wide of the far post. That looked really close.

81 min: Everton substitution Jesper Lindstrom replaces the goalscorer Iliman Ndiaye.

80 min Meanwhile, Luke McLaughlin has all the team news for the 3pm games.

78 min: Chance for City! Savinho slips Branthwaite on the right edge of the area and curls a fine cross towards the backpedalling Haaland at the far post. He could go for goal but tries to give Bernardo Silva an easier chance with a header back across the face. There’s slightly too much on it and Everton are able to clear.

I think it was the right decision to try to find Bernardo; the trajectory and speed of the cross were such that even Haaland would have struggled to generate the necessary power for a header at goal.

78 min Branthwaite is coming back on so hopefully it was an impact injury rather than any muscular damage.

76 min Branthwaite stays down after making a good sliding tackle on Haaland. This is a worry; he’s been terrific again today.

75 min: Man City substitution Kevin De Bruyne replaces Jeremy Doku, who had an okay game on the left.

73 min If it stays like this City will have won only one of the last 13 games in all competitions, which is beyond bonkers.

70 min: Everton substitution Armando Broja replaces Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.

70 min The resulting corner is a shambles, totally wasted.

69 min A good Everton break almost leads to a second goal. Harrison runs Gvardiol and stands up a very deep cross towards Doucoure. He twists his body to sidefoot a volley that hits Lewis and dribbles just wide of the near post.

68 min City are starting to stir from their post-penalty slump, though they’re still a million miles from their rhythmic best.

66 min Haaland receives the ball in the area and tries to go past Branthwaite, who stays on his feet to make a calm tackle. Moments later Savinho curls a fair way wide from the right side of the area.

64 min Coleman plays an early pass up to Calvert-Lewin, who tries to run the last man Ake. For a split second it looks like he’s away but an imperfect touch allows Ake to slide in and knock the ball back to Ortega. Crucial defending.

63 min “This match is all squeak and no bubble,” says Lee Woodard. “Haaland is the fashionable Christmas toy everyone wanted a few years back but now realise it’s made playtime a bit boring and samey. Time to put the big toy back in its box and find the fun again.”

I’m all for an extended analogy but that feels more than a little harsh on Haaland. The old quote about failure being an orphan doesn’t apply to this City collapse.

61 min Kevin De Bruyne, who has had a touch of flu, is warming up. Bernardo Silva rakes a drive from 25 yards that is booted away.

59 min That penalty save has winded City, who had started the second half really well. This is so weird. I can’t think of a single precedent, certainly in English football, for a truly great team collapsing like this. Man Utd had a shambolic spell in November and December 2001 but they didn’t lose nine in 12.

57 min Calvert-Lewin wins a header to find Ndiaye, who leaves the ball behind on the edge of the area but reacts quickly to return it to Calvert-Lewin. He tries to nip past Ake, who sticks out a leg to make an important tackle. Had he misjudged that it would have been an other penalty.

56 min Haaland’s penalty was far from perfect, slightly scuffed and not in the corner. Still a very good save though. One day Jordan Pickford will get the recognition he deserves.

55 min “Thanks for manning the MBM presumably whilst dehydrated from excess Tin,” writes Paul McGrory. “The England-Albania radio lesson reminded me of a May afternoon in 1991. Ireland (in the same group as England) had a crucial Euro 92 qualifier at home to Poland, which kicked off at 3pm due to Irish rugby bosses not needing floodlights at Lansdowne Road. Big Jack mania was at its peak, and our German teacher could sense that the half-class who had bothered to turn up weren’t interested in the dative case, so he pulled his car up outside the portacabin and blared the radio out. We all got to enjoy the first half hour of a 0-0 snorefest that ultimately cost Ireland qualification. Bah.”

I have a vague memory of being at school for the 1-1 draw with England during the same campaign. Great story. You can imagine what the Sittingbourne under-16s brains trust made of Graham Taylor’s decision to omit Paul Gascoigne.

52 min Seamus Coleman is booked for playing silly buggers.

51 min: Penalty to City! Savinho, who has tormented Mykolenko at the start of the second half, beats him to a loose ball just inside the area and is kicked on the knee. A clear penalty.

50 min A deep cross is headed back by Haaland towards Savinho on the edge of the area. He whistles a half-volley through the crowd that is kicked away by Pickford, a good save as he must have seen it late. Kovacic then cracks just wide from 25 yards.

49 min Savinho beats Mykolenko again and crosses deep towards Haaland. It’s slightly too high for a header at goal so Haaland nods it back across the face and Everton clear.

48 min “What a contest,” weeps Paul Griffin. “Will the victor be this once iconic but now struggling side from the North West, which not so long ago had an almost unmatchable tradition of picking up trophies, but which slumped despite the largesse of a super-rich owner and access to crème de la crème La Liga coaching? Or will Manchester City pick up the points?”

I mean we all knew what was coming, but at least it was delivered with a bit of flair.

47 min Savinho sprints away from Mykolenko, who makes an important lunging challenge to concede a corner. Foden curls it onto the head of Gvardiol, whose flicked header is blocked by Harrison in the six-yard box.

46 min No changes on either side as City begin the second half.

“Everton seemed to have forgotten how to play football for 25 minutes,” begins Gary Naylor, “but once they remembered how to control and pass a ball, the lads have done well, probably shading it since then. There’s a feeling in the home crowd that Evertonians will recognise - an anticipation of an opportunity to moan and groan that so often brings it on. Next goal the winner?”

I’m probably not the best person to ask given I congratulated myself on six Fantasy Premier League points for Rico Lewis before the match had even kicked off.

Half-time reading

45+1 min Harrison plays a neat one-two on the edge of the area with Mangala and lifts a cross that is headed behind by Gvardiol. Harrison’s inswinging corner is headed over by Calvert-Lewin, under pressure six yards from goal. Not a great chance, but a chance nonetheless.

45 min Now Foden, who has been increasingly excellent, has a shot from the left side of the area that is well blocked by Coleman.

44 min Foden’s corner is headed away to the edge of the area by Tarkowski. Savinho cracks a sweet half-volley that is blocked by one of the many outrushing defenders.

43 min Nothing comes of the free-kick. Coleman then gives the ball away from Bernardo near the byline and is rescued by Branthwaite, who belts the resulting cross behind for a corner.

42 min Doku is fouled just outside the area by Mykolenko, who gets a yellow card for his pains.

40 min Suddenly Everton fancy their chances. Ndiaye shuffles away from Lewis on the left of the area and hammers a cross that flashes behind Calvert-Lewin. That attack elicits a roar from the home crowd that is two parts defiance, two parts fear and fifty parts what-the-hell-is-going-on.

Iliman Ndiaye has equalised out of nothing. Doucoure’s cross from a narrow position on the right came at an awkward height for Akanji, who should nonetheless have cleared it. Instead it brushed his knee, which wrongfooted Lewis and allowed the ball to reach Ndiaye beyond the far post. He took a touch and poked an early shot back across Ortega and into the net. That’s a terrific finish, really clinical. But Akanji should have cleared the cross.

33 min: Chance for Bernardo! City should be 2-0 up. Haaland seized upon a headed clearance and gave the ball to Foden, who rolled an inviting square pass towards the onrushing Bernardo Silva. He was through on goal, with time for a touch, but decided to take the shot first time from the edge of the area with the outside of his left foot. It whistled just wide of the far post.

It would have been a lovely goal, and made City need a moment of swaggering brilliance to spark them, but it wasn’t the percentage option.

31 min There are seven more Premier League games today: five at 3pm, then Wolves 2-2 Man Utd (5.30pm) and Liverpool 4-0 Leicester (8pm).

29 min It’ll take more than one slightly fortuitous goal to replenish City’s confidence levels, so we shouldn’t be surprised that the game is still pretty flat. Foden is playing well, mind, and tees up Savinho for a shot that spins up off a defender and is held by the backpedalling Pickford. A comfortable save, although he might have been Origi flashbacks as the ball looped towards him.

28 min Everton win their first corner. It’s headed away to Gueye, who swishes a half-volley from about 23 yards. Ortega jumps to make a comfortable save.

26 min Foden puts Haaland through again, this time with a pinged pass from inside his own half. Haaland gets away from Branthwaite but Pickford is quickly out to dive at his feet and claim the ball. Good goalkeeping.

23 min I’m fairly sure, having seen a couple of replays, that City’s opener was an own-goal by Branthwaite. At the moment it has Bernardo Silva’s name next to it. Why I oughta.

22 min Foden plays a nice through pass to Haaland, who goes round the outrushing Pickford but forces himself too wide. He can only cut the ball back into the six-yard box and Branthwaite concedes a corner.

Kudos to Haaland there; he could easily have bought a penalty (or tried to) when Pickford dived at his feet.

21 min A promising Everton attack, only their second of the game, ends with Mangala curling not far wide from 25 yards. Decent effort, and it was noticeable that Everton had plenty of time on the ball throughout that move.

18 min The atmosphere is still very flat despite that goal, which was greeted – as the great Clive Tyldesley noted on Amazon – more with relief than joy. I guess 12.30pm games can be flat at the best of the times, never mind when most of the supporters are nursing a bruiser between the eyes.

Doku crackled inside from the left and angled a good pass behind Tarkowski towards Bernardo Silva. He made a late run into the area, tracked by Branthwaite, and tried to slide a low shot across goal from a tight angle. It deflected off the sliding Branthwaite before spinning across Pickford and into the far corner.

The goal has provisionally been given to Bernardo but I’m not sure his shot was on target – I guess we’ll find out when we see more replays at half-time.

13 min “I know it won’t make for the best MBM experience,” begins Joe Pearson, “but I hope this turns out to be the most Dyche match of all: tedious and pedestrian and ending in a nil-nil draw. Happy Boxing Day!”

So far so, er, good.

12 min Haaland has a shot blocked after more good play from Savinho, who has been City’s most penetrative and fearless attacker to date.

11 min Here, this is good fun.

9 min Everton, more than most teams, take pride in their defending, and the early signs are that this will be another proud day for them. They know they have can keep clean sheets against the best, having done so against Arsenal and Chelsea in the last fortnight; that thought should sustain them during the inevitable periods of suffering.

6 min Everton’s first attack. Harrison curls a nice inswinging cross that just evades Calvert-Lewin, nipping in front of Ake. He would still have had a lot to do even if he had made contact with the ball, which he didn’t.

4 min Savinho, who has started sharply on the right, wriggles past a couple of defenders and drives a low shot straight at Pickford. There was a player sliding in front of Pickford, which could have put him off, but he kept his eye on the ball.

3 min: Gvardiol hits the post! City’s primary goal threat almost strikes. Foden took a short corner on the left and then clipped a nice cross to the near post, where Gvardiol rose between two defenders thumped a header off the face of the post.

2 min “I’m hug,” writes Amanda Knight. That’s it, that’s the whole message. Has another development in vibes culture that’s passed me by?

1 min Everton, in their dark grey change strip, kick off from right to left.

“Fresh off a silly early start with the cricket, how are the exhaustion levels, Rob?” wonders Matt Dony. “Can we expect some tiredness-induced delusional entries? Like, I don’t know, City struggling to play coherently and score goals, despite having A comedy goal machine up front? Or maybe, Everton being solid and difficult to play against? All seems pretty outlandish…”

I wonder how long you could get away with making the whole thing up. I remember being in an English lesson when England played Albania on a Wednesday afternoon in March 1989. Some lad claimed to have a radio under his desk, so we were all thrilled when word went round that England had taken an early lead. When they made it 4-0 after seven minutes we started to doubt the reliability of our intrepid reporter.

A reminder of the teams

Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Foden, Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, Haaland, Doku.
Substitutes: Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, McAtee

Everton (possible 4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Mangala, Gueye; Harrison, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Chermiti, Broja, Lindstrom, Armstrong

Referee Simon Hooper.

“LFC failed to score against the Evo cos the game never happened,” writes Jon Dry. “Just sayin…”

Did they score a goal, yes or no?

Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s new world

“Is Seamus Coleman replacing Ashley Cole in a starting line up a candidate for oldest ever combined age for such a switch?” wonders Nick Smith. “Free sherry for anyone who can come up with an older outfield pairing.”

Ashley Cole? Are you sure there’s any sherry left? It’s a good question, though: Seamus Coleman (36) and Ashley Young (39) have a combined age of 75. As with most age-based questions, the answer probably involves Stanley Matthews or Kazuyoshi Miura.

Sean Dyche is one step away from using the V-word here. The day he starts talking about vibes is the day we know it’s over.

Pep Guardiola takes to Amazon

[How do you find your rhythm again?] I don’t know. Winning games, basically. We can’t think beyond the next game; we are going to try.

I love the club, the hierarchy and the people, my life in Manchester. We have a lot of problems, for many reasons and the target is to turn it round.

When we won everything in the past we had almost a full squad. Now we have eight important players out. When they come back they have to straight in the team, and with one game every three days they get injured again. We are in a cycle that we can’t get out of.

Kyle is unwell, Kevin and Gundogan [who are on the bench] have had flu the last few days, Jack [Grealish] is injured. Football is unpredictable. When you think, ‘Oh it’s going to be difficult’, maybe our form will change.

[On the transfer window] If we can we have to add players, definitely. Saying that, I don’t know if it will happen because the winter transfer window is not easy.

Stats department City have won 14 and drawon of their last 15 games against Everton, so there’s that.

Barney Ronay on City’s astonishing collapse

There is no obvious explanation for any of this. A team that were all aura, that carried their presence before them like a lance have become an anti-presence, stuffed shirts, straw men.

As ever the explanations tend to divide into the macro and micro view of history. Details will always decide a game. But we remain addicted to our sweeping narratives. So the more hard-headed analysis says: take the Ballon d’Or winner out of any team, chuck in one or two key defensive injuries, and there will of course be a drop-off.