By florida 
Woke up this morning still buzzing ’bout Everton’s surprise point against City last weekend. Figured I better write it down before I forget how they actually pulled that off. Brewed my coffee extra strong – knew this would take some brain work.
Getting Stuck In
First thing I did was grab the replay. Stared at that screen like a hawk hunting breakfast. Didn’t care about City’s fancy passes; I wanted Everton’s shape. Where were they actually standing? Launched this free tactical drawing tool I found online ages ago – lets you scribble lines and dots over the video. Messy but gets the job done.
Started the replay from City’s goal kicks. Noticed Everton instantly clogging the middle. Like, seriously packing it tight! The wide guys, McNeil and Harrison, weren’t hugging the touchline like usual. Nope, they tucked way inside, basically becoming extra midfield blockers. Made the pitch look super narrow for City. Seemed intentional.
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Midfield Madness:
- Doucouré looked like a man possessed, chasing anything blue in his zone.
- Gueye? Pure muscle, breaking up passes like it was personal.
- Garner stuck close to Stones when he wandered up.
Finding the Gaps (Literally)
Okay, so they squeezed the middle. But City loves those channels between fullback and center-back. So I rewound every City attack down the sides. Took me ages to spot the pattern. Branthwaite and Tarkowski? Absolute rocks. They barely moved! Seemed like they said, “You wanna cross? Fine. We’re staying put.” Let the fullbacks deal with the wingers first. And when crosses did come in? Heads, knees, bums – whatever it took to smash it clear. Bodies flying everywhere. Basic? Maybe. Effective? Hell yes.
Highlighted some moments where Doucouré made a challenge way up the pitch. Instant chaos. Like the whole Everton block shifted forward together for five seconds, buzzing around City players. Gave them zero breathing room. Looked exhausting just watching it! Slowed it right down, drew red arrows showing how players swarmed immediately.
Putting It All Together
My coffee was cold by now. But things were clicking. It wasn’t pretty possession football. This was all about shape and togetherness. Everton basically built this defensive shell:
- Super Squeezed Middle: Made it impossible for City to play through the heart.
- Let ‘Em Cross (Maybe): Center-backs held their ground, trusted the clearances.
- Swarm the Ball: If City got near the box, it felt like five blue shirts just appeared.
- Doucouré’s Engine: Him harassing high up set the angry tone.
Honestly? Drawing all this out made me appreciate the effort even more. It was disciplined chaos. They ran their socks off and trusted each other. Simple plan, messy to watch sometimes, but it worked. Ended up with this crazy-looking scribble on my screen – lines all over, dots clustered together – kinda looked like a frustrated hedgehog defending its nest. Perfectly summed it up.
Saved the file just as my laptop groaned – probably overloaded with video and drawings. Worth it though. One of those scrappy underdog performances you gotta respect. Now, where’s my cold coffee…