Manchester City back on top of Premier League after home win over Everton

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Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League as two goals from Gabriel Jesus and another by substitute Raheem Sterling secured a 3-1 home win over Everton.

City almost had the first opening after just a couple of minutes when a risky Andre Gomes pass was close to being intercepted by Jesus.

But Everton threatened soon afterwards, Gylfi Sigurdsson finding Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose angled shot was tipped wide by Ederson only for the flag to go up for offside.

With 10 minutes gone, City were back on the attack as a neat turn by Jesus saw him find space before Kurt Zouma denied him with an excellent block.

But Everton created, and missed, the best chance of the early stages with quarter of an hour gone, Lucas Digne crossing towards Richarlison, who lashed a volley over.

Digne was booked for a foul on Riyad Mahrez as City sprang into the attack down their right, with the free kick cleared to the edge of the box where Fabian Delph hammered over.

Jordan Pickford made a fine save when teammate Michael Keane stretched to divert the ball away from a cross only to send it towards the bottom corner -- but after 22 minutes the home side were in front.

Yerry Mina gave the ball away inside his own half and Fernandinho played it to Leroy Sane, whose pass put Jesus clear inside the penalty area to finish low past Pickford.

Delph crossed and Zouma cleared as Pep Guarduiola's side looked for a second goal with the half-hour approaching and Aymeric Laporte almost provided it, heading wide from an Ilkay Gundogan cross.

Everton were offering little in the way of threat and Fernandinho won the ball to release Sane, whose angled strike was deflected over.

Only Pickford prevented City from going into the break with a 2-0 lead when, after Fernandinho had again won the ball, he made a diving save to keep out Mahrez.

Fernandinho tried his luck from distance as the second half began, Keane in the way, but it took only five minutes of the second period for City to double their lead.

It came from another move that started with Fernandinho, who steered the ball to the left where Sane crossed for Jesus to power in a header for his second of the afternoon.

City's Laporte was forced off after a collision with Sigurdsson but was able to return after treatment, and before the hour Everton boss Marco Silva made two attacking changes, bringing on Ademola Lookman for Bernard and Theo Walcott for Coleman.

It was almost 3-0 when Jesus and Gundogan linked but the midfielder fired wide -- but with 65 minutes gone Everton were back in the game when Digne's cross was headed home by Calvert-Lewin via an inadvertent touch from Delph.

City brought on Sterling for Sane and, after 69 minutes, the substitute restored his side's two-goal cushion when he headed in Fernandinho's cross.

Richarlison failed to hit the target with his second chance of the match moments later, lashing over from the edge of the box, and then Walcott steered high from a driven low Lookman cross as another opening for the visitors came and went.

Kevin De Bruyne returned to action for City following injury, replacing Mahrez as the game headed into its final quarter of an hour, before Everton made their final change with 10 minutes remaining, Tom Davies on for Sigurdsson.

Although then visitors conjured further chances, Calvert-Lewin's flick saved by Ederson and another Richarlison shot deflected away, City comfortably returned to the summit ahead of Liverpool's home game against Manchester United on Sunday.