Everton 0-2 Manchester City: Citizens move into top spot [VIDEO]

Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri struck in the second half as Manchester City maintained their winning to the season with a 2-0 victory at Everton.

Kolarov drove home from a tight angle to break the deadlock after 60 minutes of a compelling Barclays Premier League encounter at Goodison Park before substitute Nasri wrapped up victory in the closing minutes.

The result took City clear at the top of the table after three games of the campaign and rewarded them for another fluid attacking display.

But spirited Everton caused them problems throughout the game and went close to taking the lead themselves when Romelu Lukaku hit the bar from a free-kick.

City, looking much stronger in defense this season, held firm to record a third consecutive clean sheet and further vindicate manager Manuel Pellegrini's offensive philosophy.

SEE MORE: Read Manchester City’s 2015/16 season preview.

City again went straight onto the attack. David Silva tested Tim Howard from a tight angle in the opening minutes and Sergio Aguero combined with Jesus Navas before also shooting at the goalkeeper.

Howard then saved again from Silva before the Spaniard drilled a low cross into the box which Raheem Sterling narrowly failed to turn in.

Everton grew into the game with Ross Barkley drawing a good save out of Joe Hart and Lukaku rounding the goalkeeper to slot home before turning to see an offside flag raised.

Seamus Coleman drove another good chance wide for Everton before Sterling, jeered on his first return to Merseyside since controversially leaving Liverpool, had a low effort turned away by Howard.

SEE MORE: Manchester City’s strong start to the season is a direct result of Raheem Sterling.

The hosts went close again as Phil Jagielka headed narrowly over from a corner but they suffered a blow as 19-year-old left-back Brendan Galloway was hurt in a tackle on Bacary Sagna.

Galloway, who has impressed in the absence of Leighton Baines but was clearly identified as a potential weak link by City, tried to continue but soon realized the task was beyond him. He was replaced by another youngster in Tyias Browning.

Everton finished the first half strongly with Barkley and Tom Cleverley both winning free-kicks outside the area after being felled by Eliaquim Mangala and Fernandinho respectively. Barkley fired the first over but Lukaku clipped the top of the bar from the second.

City responded after the break with Silva thumping a shot against the post after being fed by Sterling.

Sterling then provided the telling pass as City took the lead on the hour, feeding Kolarov out wide as the Serbian timed his overlapping run to perfection. The angle was acute but his shot proved too powerful as it beat Howard at his near post.

City should have had a second soon after as Navas broke clear but the Spaniard delayed his shot too long, when he might have passed to Aguero, and Howard blocked.

Everton were not finished and Vincent Kompany needed to clear off the line from a Gareth Barry header moments after Hart had been troubled by a corner.

Nasri made certain of victory when he raced onto a neat flick from Yaya Toure to neatly lob Howard in the 88th minute.

TWEET OF THE MATCH

"Tremendous interplay between Sterling and Kolarov again for City's goal. What was Howard doing?"

Dietmar Hamann @DietmarHamann

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

PLAYER RATINGS

Everton

Tim Howard: 5 (out of 10)

Seamus Coleman: 7

John Stones: 7

Phil Jagielka: 7

Brendan Galloway: 6

Gareth Barry: 6

James McCarthy: 6

Arouna Kone: 6

Ross Barkley: 7

Tom Cleverley: 7

Romelu Lukaku: 7

Subs

Tyias Browning: 6

Steven Naismith: 6

Gerard Deulofeu: 6

Manchester City

Joe Hart: 6

Bacary Sagna: 6

Eliaquim Mangala: 7

Vincent Kompany: 8

Aleksandar Kolarov: 7

Yaya Toure: 7

Fernandinho: 6

Jesus Navas: 5

David Silva: 8

Raheem Sterling: 7

Sergio Aguero: 7

Subs

Samir Nasri: 7

Wilfried Bony: 5

Fabian Delph: 5

STAR MAN

David Silva: The City playmaker has started the season superbly and was again in fine form. Some of his movement and passing was brilliant and he could torment some teams if he maintains this level. He might have had two goals in the opening minutes and he was unlucky to hit the post early in the second half.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

The winner by Aleksandar Kolarov was a well-worked goal that further demonstrated the multi-faceted nature of City's attacking threat. City have only played three games but already they have shown they can score in a variety of different ways, a strong warning to the rest of the competition. Kolarov timed his run perfectly and finished well.

VIEW FROM THE BENCH

Everton boss Roberto Martinez will be pleased with the way his side dealt with the threat of City for much of the game. City's attack was fluid but they had little joy until Kolarov found a way through. With their attack also dangerous, the signs are good for Everton despite the result. Opposite number Manuel Pellegrini can reflect on another satisfactory result and clean sheet, with his side coming through their toughest examination yet.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

Tim Howard may come in for a bit of criticism. The normally reliable American goalkeeper probably should not have been beaten at his near post by Kolarov's strike and he was caught out as Yaya Toure flicked neatly into the area for Samir Nasri to clip home the second goal.

WHO'S UP NEXT?

Barnsley v Everton (Capital One Cup, Wednesday 26 August)

Manchester City v Watford (Premier League, Saturday 29 August)

City boss Pellegrini admitted equalling a club-record nine consecutive top-flight wins paled into insignificance when compared with their performances this season.

He said on Sky Sports 1: "Again we scored two goals and again we kept our clean sheet so I think that we are working very well as a team in defense and attack.

"It's always more important to be top of the table and the most important thing is to see the team playing the way we are doing."

Pellegrini believes the arrival of Sterling, who signed from Liverpool for £49million over the summer, gives City an extra dimension.

"I said when he arrived here that he's a different player, we didn't have maybe last year a player with his characteristics," added the Chilean, who is not getting carried away by City's start.

"The most important thing is that we have a good squad, that we have all the players involved in our target and that is to play the way we are doing so far, and also very important to understand we have just started the season and we have just played three games.

"Now after Watford, we are going to start playing eight games every month so it's very important to have all the squad involved."

City goalkeeper Joe Hart admitted their winning run counts for little as they were not title contenders last season.

While he is pleased they have hit their straps so far this term, he is not taking anything for granted.

"We constantly remind each other we played the last six games for nothing, and that's not been usual for how we've done things recently," said Hart, whose goal has not been breached in this campaign.

"We know we've started this season well but we appreciate that starting the season (well) means nothing, it's a long season."

Everton boss Martinez believed City's first goal changed the complexion of the game, and rued the fact his side were unable to make the breakthrough.

"We had our moments," he said. "There were a couple of close situations. If we could have scored the first goal the game would have changed immensely, probably the first goal changed a little bit too much.

"We had very good moments, we played a very good side – that's very clear – but I don't think they carried too much strength until their (first) goal."