Everton 1 Manchester City 0:Everton took their cue from the city's celebrations. With Ringo Starr presented as the cutting edge of Liverpool's launch as Culture Capital of Europe they turned in a retro performance in keeping. Manchester City obliged with no cutting edge at all.

Everton had lost two cup games in the previous seven days on top of three men to the African Cup of Nations. Then they lost Andrew Johnson to injury on Friday. Their 4-4-1-1 made more sense than City's. While Victor Anichebe was never isolated in front of Tim Cahill's energy, City's newcomer Nery Castillo saw the game pass him by and gave little help to Darius Vassell.

Except at the back City lacked vitality and direction. Sven-Goran Eriksson was as enigmatic as his team. "We started 40 minutes late," he said, as if it was not his fault. "We were kicking long balls, chasing second balls and we are not good at that. If that is the way we are going to play, we will have to sell half our team and buy other players. We were not brave enough to play the way we wanted."

Then, uncharacteristically, he turned on one of his players, his 20-year-old goalkeeper. "Joe Hart kicked the ball out 17 or 18 times in that first half, long balls going nowhere. In training it is forbidden" - and he trailed off in maybe the nearest he has shown to exasperation. Hart's form has lifted him above Kasper Schmeichel and Andreas Isaksson in City's pecking order and he had just enough opportunity to demonstrate why in shot-stopping - to deny Cahill - reaction and overall presence. If he kicked a bit, he threw more often and always looked to. Everton were the only side with attacking intent and the ability to keep the ball. Everton's Tim Howard had no save to make until the 92nd minute. City deserved no equaliser.

In light of the high balls fired by Hart and everyone else at Vassell there was sweet comeuppance in Everton's goal. The 5ft 7in striker, thrilled to get his head to the ball for once, cleared Mikel Arteta's corner but only to Phil Neville, who returned it to the Spaniard on the right. Joleon Lescott, still so far up that he might have been offside, deflected Arteta's driven cross in at the near post. On Tuesday the defender had conceded the late own-goal that beat Everton at Chelsea. On Saturday he was left off the team-sheet for Joseph Yobo, already in Ghana. If it was wishful thinking, it was soon reversed. This was his sixth goal of the season at the right end.

"I think he was sore at Chelsea as he realised we had let it go," said David Moyes, whose celebration of 10 seasons in management did not permit going overboard. "For a central defender the target should be 10 like Tony Adams and Derek Mountfield used to get," he added, not that they typically did.

With the loan signing of Manuel Fernandes completed, he is happy to see the window half-shut while for Eriksson it remains half-open. Eriksson clearly needs a striker and, if Thaksin Shinawatra is not too distracted by his wife's arrest on corruption charges last week, the money may be available if not the striker. Everton resisted the temptation for a minute's silence.