O’Reilly and Kovacic Goals Seal Late Win for Manchester City Against Everton u3b6z

Watch the highlights and key moments from Man City’s 2-0 win over Everton.

Manchester City have leapfrogged Nottingham Forest into the top four with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park.

In a game that looked set to end in a frustrating draw, two late goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic secured a vital win for Pep Guardiola’s side in their chase for Champions League qualification.

The match remained goalless for 84 minutes, but it was 20-year-old O’Reilly who broke the deadlock with a clinical finish inside the six-yard box. Matheus Nunes was the architect, delivering a low cross from the right, which O’Reilly tapped in with poise to give City the lead.

Just moments later, in injury time, Mateo Kovacic doubled Manchester City’s advantage. A brilliant piece of play from Ilkay Gündogan, who showed his experience by holding off a defender and laying the ball back for Kovacic, resulted in the Croatian’s second consecutive goal.

Everton put up a strong fight for most of the match. They were disciplined defensively, limiting City’s chances and showing impressive resilience.

The Toffees could have taken the lead earlier in the match, with James Tarkowski coming agonisingly close. A header from a corner bounced off the post in the first half, and later Abdoulaye Doucoure had a powerful shot blocked by City’s Josko Gvardiol.

Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, also played a crucial role in keeping his team in the game. He made a series of key saves, including a sharp stop to deny Savinho early in the second half and a crucial one-on-one save from Marmoush.

Despite their best efforts, however, Everton were unable to break down City’s defence, and they eventually succumbed to the late onslaught.

Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to break through Everton’s defensive block for much of the match, but they were clinical when it mattered most.

The win not only helps City climb into the top four but also extends their unbeaten run to five matches in the Premier League.

With a huge game against Aston Villa at the Etihad on Tuesday, Guardiola will be hoping for more of the same as they continue to battle for a top-four finish.

WATCH: Everton 0-2 Man City Highlights 1e6y5a

Man City remain firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification with the win, keeping pace with rivals like Aston Villa and Newcastle.

They now have 67 points and will be hoping to extend their run as they move into the final stretch of the season.

For Everton, the result was disappointing, but there were positives to take from their performance.

Under the stewardship of David Moyes, Everton have shown improved form and remain comfortably clear of the relegation zone in 13th place.

The Toffees will now have a week off before their next challenge—a trip to Chelsea in next weekend’s early kick-off.