The Premier League season is barely past the halfway point and already Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has virtually given up on winning the title.
The world's most coveted coach can't have envisaged his first year in English football being this tough.
It takes something special to overshadow a match between bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, but City's 4-0 loss at Everton on Sunday did just that.
As he slumped to the heaviest loss of his career in a domestic league match, Guardiola – with his arms folded – was seen staring into space while he sat in the Goodison Park dug-out. At other times, he had his face in his hands.
City has dropped out of the Champions Leagues positions, into fifth place, and 10 points adrift of leader Chelsea.
Asked if the gap to first place was now too great, Guardiola said:
(To) the first one? Yes. Ten points is a lot of points. The second one is three points. We have to see.Pep Guardiola
In the other matches of the gameweek, Arsenal and Chelsea notched wins, while Manchester United and Liverpool played out a 1-1 draw.
Here’s a look at the big games that took place in the Premier League last weekend.
1. Everton Thrash Manchester City 4-0
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While there was misery for City at Goodison Park, there was jubilation for Everton after a win that was sealed by goals from two of the club's promising teenagers on Sunday.
Goals either side of half-time by Romelu Lukaku (34th minute) and Kevin Mirallas (47th minute) set Everton on its way before the 18-year-old midfielder Tom Davies raced into the area in the 79th minute and dinked a deft finish over goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, the ball landing just inside the post.
It completed an impressive display by Davies, who has now started two straight games and is distinctive with his all-action style and mop of blond hair.
The fourth goal was scored by 19-year-old debutant Ademola Lookman, four minutes into injury time. And it summed up City's sloppy performance.
John Stones — a former Everton player — tried to clear the ball for a throw-in only to see it ricochet off Everton defender Seamus Coleman to set up Lookman. Signed from Charlton this month and on as a late substitute for his debut, Lookman placed his shot through Bravo's legs.
2. Manchester United Draw With Liverpool
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised late for United to bail out teammate Paul Pogba in a frantic, intense match at Old Trafford between the two most decorated teams in English football.
On the day United rolled out advertising hoardings displaying Paul Pogba's new Twitter emoji, the player himself made a crucial mistake by conceding a penalty for handball while jumping with his back to the ball at a corner.
James Milner converted the spot kick in the 27th minute but Liverpool were denied a win after Ibrahimovic glanced a header in off the crossbar in the 84th minute, moments after substitute Marouane Fellaini headed against the post.
Liverpool ended United's nine-game winning run in all competitions – six of which had come in the league – but dropped seven points behind first-placed Chelsea. Sixth-placed United was 12 points off the leader.
3. Chelsea Take Down Leicester 3-0
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Chelsea's first two goals came from an unlikely source: Marcos Alonso. The wing back first netted in the sixth minute after being teed up by Eden Hazard and he was on target again six minutes into the second half with a low drive.
Pedro Rodriguez headed in the third in the 80th minute as Chelsea went seven points clear of Tottenham and left Leicester only five points above the relegation zone in a pitiful defense of the title won so astonishingly last year.
4. Arsenal Beat Swansea 4-0
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Arsenal rose to third and sent Swansea sliding to the bottom of the standings in Paul Clement's first home game in charge since replacing the fired Bob Bradley.
Olivier Giroud, who found the back of the net in the 37th minute, scored in a fifth consecutive game, including last weekend's FA Cup victory over Preston, and Alexis Sanchez volleyed in his 14th goal of the league campaign in the 73 minute.
Alex Iwobi had two deflected strikes that went down as own goals scored by Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton in the 54th and 67th minute respectively.
(With inputs from AP)
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