MATCH REPORT: EVERTON 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY

Photo credit: Paul Ellis (Pool/Reuters)

Everton’s FA Cup run comes to an end with a 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City in the quarter-final.

The Toffees had done well to withstand 84 minutes of pressure from the champions elect before Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne’s late strikes broke their valiant resistance.

The odds were stacked against Carlo Ancelotti’s men as they faced a team who had won all but one of their last 26 matches while on their own dismal run at home.

Their task was made even harder by the absence of both first-team goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen to injury, but 21-year-old Joao Virginia had a fantastic game.

The visitors expectedly controlled the possession, but it was Everton who had the better opportunities in the first half as their mean defence successfully subdued their opposition’s explosive attackers.

Yerry Mina had a header cleared off the line and Richarlison came close with two speculative efforts.

The quality of Pep Guardiola’s side began to tell in the second half as Virginia made a brilliant save, pushing Raheem Sterling’s strike round the post.

The 21-year-old made another excellent stop, tipping Aymeric Laporte’s shot onto the bar, only for Gundogan to follow in and put City in front.

As the Blues pushed up, searching for an equaliser, substitute de Bruyne was able to latch onto Rodri’s lobbed pass and smash home his side’s second, securing their safe passage into the FA Cup semi-finals.

Meanwhile Everton’s last chance of winning silverware this season has been lost and Ancelotti’s side turn their attention onto finishing in the European places.