Manchester City rallies for 3-1 win at Everton to get Premier League campaign back on track

LIVERPOOL, England — Manchester City had to come from behind to beat Everton 3-1 on Wednesday and climb back into the Premier League’s top four.

Just back from winning its first Club World Cup title in Saudi Arabia, City went behind to Jack Harrison’s first-half goal but recovered after the break thanks to a well-taken strike by Phil Foden and a penalty by Julian Alvarez.

Bernardo Silva added the third when he pounced on a poor clearance by Jordan Pickford to curl home into an empty net in the 86th.

It was only City’s second win in seven league matches but lifted the defending champions above Tottenham into fourth place, five points behind leader Liverpool with a game in hand. Second-place Arsenal can move six points clear of City by beating West Ham on Thursday.

City was without Erling Haaland again because of a foot injury and Pep Guardiola’s side had a sluggish start as Everton took the lead in the 29th minute. City midfielder Rodri was pressured into an uncharacteristic loss of possession on the edge of his own area, and Dwight McNeil teed up Harrison to sidefoot home from close range. The former City winger almost scored a spectacular second with Ederson at full stretch to tip over his swerving outside-of-the-left-foot effort.

City defender John Stones had to come off with an injury in the 43rd, but the visitors needed just 19 minutes after the break to turn things around. Foden was given too much space on the edge of the area from a corner to beat Pickford with a low shot inside his left-hand post in the 53rd, and Alvarez put his team ahead from the spot after Nathan Ake’s shot hit Amadou Onana’s arm as he slid in to block.

PHOTOS: Man City rallies for 3-1 win at Everton to get Premier League campaign back on track

Referee John Brooks awarded a corner before changing his mind and pointing to the spot, with Alvarez’s blast down the middle proving too powerful as it went underneath the diving Pickford’s legs.

Silva’s 20-yard effort into an unguarded net secured the win after he collected Alvarez’s block on the goalkeeper.