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Darron Gibson celebtrates the winner at Goodison Park. John Walton/EMPICS Sport
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Everton v Manchester City, Premier League

The top four were all involved in league action tonight, and Manchester City’s trip to Everton was the subject of our liveblog.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this evening’s Premier League games. E-mail ben@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Full-time: Everton 1-0 Manchester City

Greetings and welcome along…

We are into the last remaining hours of Deadline Day but there is in fact some football to be played, as the top four are all in action tonight.

Goodison Park is where we will be focusing on, as league leaders Manchester City visit Everton.

Pre-match preparations for the two managers involved will have been disrupted slightly by regular phone calls due to the transfer activity at their respective clubs.

Roberto Mancini has been ensuring the media that he would not be delving into the market over the past couple of days, but has backtracked and is close to tying up a deal for Roma’s Chilean midfielder David Pizarro as we speak.

Everton, meanwhile, have done a bit of business themselves. Their main target Nikica Jelavic has sealed a move from Rangers after passing a medical earlier today and could be unveiled before the game.

Louis Saha has been shipped out to Tottenham in order to make room for the Croatian international, while former Toffee Steven Pienaar may come in the opposite direction a year after departing for Spurs.

Here’s Jelavic arriving at his new club earlier today:

For all the last minute moves with a splinkling of madcappery, make sure to check in with Adrian Russell for live Deadline Day updates here.

Proceedings at Everton v Man City don’t begin until 8pm, as is the case with Stoke’s trip to Old Trafford, where they face Manchester United.

Fifteen minutes earlier, Swansea v Chelsea, Tottenham v Wigan and Wolves v Liverpool all kick-off and we will make sure to keep you up-to-date on developments across those grounds throughout the night.

In team news, Everton must do without Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Seamus Coleman, Jack Rodwell and Leon Osman, who are all nursing injuries.

City miss the Toure brothers while they compete in the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast and Mario Balotelli has another three of his four game ban to serve.

The good news is skipper Vincent Kompany makes a welcome return to the starting XI.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Neville, Heitinga, Baines, Drenthe, Fellaini, Gibson, Donovan, Cahill, Stracqualursi. Subs: Mucha, Duffy, Barkley, Forshaw, Gueye, Vellios, Baxter.

Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Milner, Silva, Aguero, Nasri, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Savic, Johnson, De Jong, Razak.

Gary Neville is bigging up the influence of Vincent Kompany in the City team on Sky Sports. He would certainly instil far more confidence than Stefan Savic, who has been a weak link as the Belgian’s replacement in recent weeks.

Still 0-0 in the earlier games, while the teams emerge from the tunnel here. Minutes away from the start…

Five minutes in and Everton have had the ball cleared off the line.  Denis Stracqualursi heads goalward from their corner but, with Joe Hart flapping, old boy Joleon Lescott is in the right place at the right time.

Argetine striker Stracqualursi sees a rather more tame header collected by the City keeper but Everton are up for this one. The visitors gain some territory through James Milner but the final product is poor as  Gael Clichy blazes a strike into the stands.

GOAL! Spurs 1-0 Wigan (Gareth Bale)

Luka Modric does the donkey work to tee up the Welsh winger, who slots home past Ali Al-Habsi in the 29th minute.

GOAL! Spurs 2-0 Wigan (Luka Modric)

The Croatian schemer then fires in a goal of his own to give the home side a two-goal cushion at White Hart Lane.

In our feature game, David Silva picks out Sergio Aguero and, with three bodies in front of him, the former Atletico Madrid talisman makes a bit of room for himself with neat footwork then drills the ball the wrong side of Tim Howard’s post.

GOAL! Swansea 1-0 Chelsea (Scott Sinclair)

Sinclair, who spent five years at Chelsea, will have enjoyed that one. The Swansea winger catches a volley beautifully to beat Petr Cech after a free-kick is only half-cleared.

The Toffees waste a great opportunity to test Hart but Leighton Baines allows Landon Donovan to whip a free-kick but it is easily dealt with. Another ball gets lofted into the City box and Hart wins a free out.

Yet more pressure put on by David Moyes’ side. Baines finds Stracqualursi and his knock down is caught well by Marouane Fellaini.

It is bettered moments later however. Samir Nasri crashes an effort off the underside of the bar and the ball bounces back out into play.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Stoke (Javier Hernandez)

Ji-Sung Park is brought down by Jermaine Pennant and Chicharito dispatches.

Meanwhile at Goodison, someone has had the bright idea to handcuff himself to the goalpost. Bewildered stewards are currently attempting to cut him free while the players stand around waiting for the game to resume.

There will be five minutes of added time thanks to our lone protester, who has since been escorted away.

Apparently, our pitch invader is infamous for such shenanigans:

The Spaniard’s conquests include the World Cup final between Spain and Holland, Liverpool and AC Milan’s Champions League final in 2007, the French Open and the Eurovision! A bit of a master in his field so.

HALF-TIME: Everton 0-0 Manchester City

GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Liverpool (Andy Carroll)

Liverpool’s much maligned striker celebrates one year at the club with his third Premier League goal for the Merseysiders! Charlie Adam provides the cross and Carroll stabs the ball past Wayne Hennessey.

All of which means, we are the only fixture without a goal. Everyone say a little prayer that the second half comes up with the goods.

Everton new boy Nikica Jelavic is shown off to the fans during the interval and claims he is “up for the challenge” after moving south from the SPL.

GOAL! Wolves 0-2 Liverpool (Craig Bellamy)

Bellamy doubles Liverpool’s lead without much objection from the Wolves defence. He strolls forward unopposed before letting fly into the top corner of Hennessey’s goal.

Half chance for City but Edin Dzeko’s header from a cross by Clichy is weak and Howard collects. David Silva is then unhappy for not receiving a free-kick after being dispossessed.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Stoke (Dimitar Berbatov)

Another from the spot for United. This time Jon Walters is the culprit and when he bundles over Luis Antonio Valencia, Berbatov has a go from 18-yards out.

GOAL! Spurs 3-0 Wigan (Gareth Bale)

Well-worked goal from Tottenham, again involving Modric. The midfielder plays through Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who pulls his pass to Bale. His low drive finds the bottom corner and surely gives Harry Redknapp the three points after what will have been a strenuous week.

Penalty shot from the away crowd. Fellaini puts in a last-ditch challenge on Aguero but it looks a good one.

Lescott then goes into Peter Walton’s book.

GOAL! Everton 1-0 Manchester City (Darron Gibson)

The Irish midfielder scores his first for the Toffees after a recent move and it’s a belter. Donovan cuts the ball back and Gibson lets fly with the type of goal he should really score more often. It does take a nick off Gareth Barry on the way in but I very much doubt he will care.

Somebody’s happy…

GOAL! Spurs 3-1 Wigan (McArthur)

Latics sub James McArthur watches his shot deflect off Assou-Ekotto and loop over Brad Friedel into the net.  Surely too late for a comeback?

Gibson has another pop at goal, this time on his left, but the volley is three or four yards wide. Toffees fans in full voice with the team leading into the final 16 minutes.

GOAL! Wolves 0-3 Liverpool (Dirk Kuyt)

Bit late getting to this one but Kuyt has sealed victory for Kenny Dalglish’s side.

GOAL! Swansea 1-1 Chelsea (Neil Taylor o.g)

Jose Bosingwa saves Chelsea’s blushes by clinching a point – his attempted cross goes in off Neil Taylor right at the death.

FULL-TIME: Swansea 1-1 Chelsea

FULL-TIME: Spurs 3-1 Wigan

FULL-TIME: Wolves 0-3 Liverpool

City probing but Everton have so far had all the answers. They do look to be tiring though.

Mancini sends on Nigel de Jong for Gareth Barry. I know he scored a stunner last week but not exactly what you would call prolific in front of goal

David Moyes makes a change of his own. Having put in an admirable shift, Stracqualursi gets his just rewards from the Everton faithful and is replaced by Apostolos Vellios.

Four minutes of added time to be played.

FULL-TIME: Manchester United 2-0 Stoke

FULL-TIME: Everton 1-0 Manchester City

Last throw of the dice from City ends fruitlessly for the Premier League leaders and Walton blows the final whistle as David Moyes gives the air an obligitory punch.

Goalscorer Darron Gibson:

We’ve been working hard in training all week. We put a shift in and it worked out. I think they (his former United team-mates) will be quite happy with the result.”

Gareth Barry getting grilled on Sky Sports for turning his back to block Gibson’s goals. Gary Neville calls up a similar incident involving the same player earlier in the season and calls it “unforgivable”.

“That might be one of the best (wins) I’ve had. We’re playing boys who are doing everything they possibly can. What an effort,” said David Moyes, who claims he is still looking to get one more player in before the 11pm deadline. He would want to get moving in that case!

Asked whether he underestimated the threat posed by Everton, Roberto Mancini replies: “Probably, probably.” Says he’ll hold his hands up and take responsibility for the defeat. Rare of a manager to come out with something like that.

So City’s third defeat in the Premier League coupled with United’s win over Stoke means the Manchester clubs are all-square at the summit of the Premier League. They never really got going tonight, and were second best to Everton in terms of commitment and desire to win the game. United do have another massive fixture in Chelsea this weekend, however.

That’s it from me. Get yourself over to our Transfer Deadline Day live blog, where the last of the deals are being finalised. We’re also covering tomorrow night’s Premier League action. Until then… take it easy!

LIVE: Transfer Deadline Day

Andy O’Brien returns to Leeds following treatment for depression

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