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He was a Red Devil but a few days ago, and Darron Gibson did his former club a massive favour on Tuesday night by scoring the only goal in a keenly contested match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park. While 80,000 odd fans sang Gibson's name around Old Trafford as United cruised to a win against Stoke City, it was the packed house on Merseyside that was toasting David Moyes and its new hero. For their part, City dominated all the stats - having a lion share of possession, taking more shots, earning more corners - but the one that really mattered on the scoreboard. For all their chances though, City lacked a distinct cutting edge in front of goal with David Silva having a rather poor game. The visitors' best chance came from Samir Nasri in the first half, with the woodwork denying the French midfielder.

Everton played host to Manchester City, hoping to continue their excellent home record against the title contenders, having lost just one game at Goodison to the other club from Manchester in just about a decade. The hosts were without Louis Saha for this game, who was reportedly over at White Hart Lane, discussing personal terms with Tottenham. Denis Stracqualursi led the line for the Merseyside club with Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini crucial threats from dead ball situations. A lack of center backs meant that Tony Hibbert, a right back by profession had to slot inside alongwith Dutch veteran Johnny Heitinga.

City meanwhile put out what is largely becoming their first choice line-up, barring Yaya Toure of course. Skipper Vincent Kompany returned from his 4-match ban to partner former Evertonian Joleon Lescott, while Gareth Barry and James Milner sat in midfield ahead of the back four. Another 4-match ban, this time for Mario Balotelli, meant that the ban who grabbed a brace against the Blues in the reverse fixture missed out with Edin Dzeko leading the line with Sergio Aguero for company.

Manchester City dominated the early exchanges, but the best chance of the first 15 minutes fell Everton's way with·Stracqualursi denied on the line by Lescott, who was covering at the back post with Joe Hart well and truly beaten from an Everton corner. Everton's next corner, almost created a chance for City back up the other end as Samir Nasri stole the ball from Leighton Baines around the half-way line, but the recipient of Nasri's pass, David Silva, made a rare poor decision.

Despite the game being played at a rather quick tempo, chances at either end were at a premium with both teams quick to get men behind the ball. Everton earned a few opportunities from dead ball situations, but American international Landon Donovan, who was surprisingly getting the nod ahead of top scorer Leighton Baines, was disappointing with his delivery.

There were suddenly chances at both ends in the 35th minute with Fellaini getting a terrific opportunity from a knock-down, but the Belgian dragged his first time effort from just a few yards out well wide. Right back up the other end Nasri stormed forward, and this time chose to take on the shot himself, hammering a beautiful curling strike from distance, beating Tim Howard all ends up, but cannoning back into play off the woodwork.

The game was bizarrely disrupted in the 40th minute with a supporter invading the pitch and handcuffing himself to the post. That caused a 5-minute delay in proceedings, and the game lost its flow as a result. Some spirited defending from a largely entertaining first half meant that there were no goals to celebrate at Goodison going into the break.

City made the brighter start to the second half, with Nasri once again looking their most potent threat. The former Gunner found himself with a sight of goal inside the box, but Leighton Baines deflected his goal bound effort over the bar.

With the Manchester club enjoying perhaps their best spell of the game, Everton popped up and grabbed a goal completely against the run of play. Amazingly it was Everton's new signing Darron Gibson, bought from City's title rivals Manchester United, who did his old club a huge favour by powering home an effort from just inside the box. Some excellent build up play from Royston Drenthe saw the ball played over from the left wing over the defence, and finding Landon Donovan on the far post. The American unselfishly set up an on-rushing Gibson, whose powerful drive was deflected into the top corner off Gareth Barry.

With just about half an hour left to salvage something from this game, City threw on Adam Johnson for James Milner, moving Samir Nasri infield and minutes later brought on Aleksandar Kolarov for Lescott, moving Clichy to right back and Micah Richards infield. In between the substitutions Nasri was once again denied by the woodwork, though from what looked like an errant cross, while Gibson fired a speculative effort wide.

The goal for Everton meant that they could now firmly sit back with 10 men behind the ball and try and stem everything that Manchester City threw at them. City dominated the possession, but failed to do anything substantial with it, while Everton were excellent at eating up time off the clock.

Despite all their technical superiority, City were unable to force Howard into making a save in the second half. There was the odd shot blazed over the bar, while the Everton defence flung themselves in the way to block anything which seemed to leave a City foot.

An excellent defensive display from the team in Blue meant that City's terrible run at Goodison continued for yet another season, and it was three massive dropped points from Manchester City on the road. A win for United at home to Stoke meant that the two Manchester giants were now deadlocked at 54 points at the top of the table with City ahead only on account of goal difference. However, with United having some tough games on the road coming up against Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool, City will have their chances in the coming weeks to open up a bit of a gap once again.

Teams:

Everton: Howard, Neville, Hibbert, Heitinga, Baines, Donovan, Gibson, Fellaini, Drenthe (Baxter 78'), Cahill, Stracqualursi (Vellios 88').

Subs: Mucha, Gueye, Barkley, Vellios, Forshaw, Duffy, Baxter.

Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott (Kolarov 68'), Clichy, Barry (De Jong 86'), Milner (Johnson 62'), Silva, Aguero, Nasri, Dzeko.

Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Johnson, Kolarov, Savic, De Jong, Razak.

Final Score: Everton 1 - 0 Manchester City (Gibson 60')

File Photograph Copyright: Barry Zee