When you fall off the horse, so the saying goes, you should get back on it as soon as possible.
So it is with football; redemption for a poor performance or a stinging, morale-sapping defeat is only ever 90 minutes away and so it proved for back to form City who pocketed three deserved points from an open and entertaining contest.
Having chased German shadows for much of Wednesday night’s damage limitation Champions League exercise, this was more like the thrusting, vibrant, dominant team that continues to head the betting lists for the Premier League title.
Despite their dominance in terms of chances created, the home side contrived to fall a goal behind after a series of defence errors in terms of positioning and tackling left loan signing Romelu Lukaka to fire through the exposed Joe Hart in the 16th minute.
Fortunately it took only a minute for the equaliser to arrive courtesy of the free-scoring Alvardo Negredo who pounced after some neat work around the edge of the box by David Silva and Yaya Toure.
Thereafter, in a pleasantly open first half, City had comfortably the best of the chances. A wonderfully constructed move straight from the training ground ought to have yielded a second but Sergio Aguero curled his shot wide after Fernandinho, Silva and Toure combined to leave the Everton defence resembling so many rabbits stuck in headlights.
James Milner’s corner was deflected against the post and Aguero miskicked when well placed before the Argentine atoned just before the break.
Silva, somewhere near to his mercurial, Merlin best, threaded the pass; Aguero defeated the off-side trap in a photo finish and then drilled a right foot shot beyond Tim Howard to give City the lead they deserved.
It was a fine pick-me-up after the chastening events of midweek. Of course facing Everton rather than Bayern Munich, who are the best team in Europe and very possibly the world, is a very different proposition but the Merseyside team invigorated by a raft of summer changes are no patsies and arrived at the Etihad Stadium as the only unbeaten side in the English top flight.
All the more reason, then, to celebrate the Sky Blues latest home win – a fourth in four in the league this season.
Pellegrini unsurprisingly kept faith with the under-fire but highly talented Hart but reacted to the midweek reverse by making other changes to his starting line-up. Pablo Zabaleta, Joleon Lescott, Milner, Silva, Kolarov and Negredo all started in place of Micah Richards, Matija Nastasic, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, and Gael Clichy.
For Everton there was no Gareth Barry who has made such an impact since City loaned him to the Goodison Park side before the start of the season.
They probably could have done with his calming experience for at times the Toffees were a little too helter-skelter for their own good.
Having turned around a goal down they were forced to come out looking for parity and that led to more entertainment for another sold out Etihad crowd who saw plenty of blood to go with the sweat as full backs Zabaleta and Kolarov both got nasty blows to the face.
Kolarov’s cut was deep enough to end his afternoon before Aguero sealed the points from the penalty spot, with the aid of Howard and the post.
The award came in the 69th minute after Seamus Coleman had a pull at Zabaleta’s arm. As penalties go it was soft but the referee had no alternative but to point to the spot. The goal will likely go to review and will probably end up as a Howard own goal.
Whoever ends up with the goal, it took the sting out of Everton’s challenge and City were comfortable winners. Howard saved his side further scoreboard embarrassment by fisting away a Negredo pile driver and the home side went into the international break at the gallop.
From the OS:
