David Moyes highlighted a lack of clinical edge for Everton's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Goodison Park
A first-half lacking chances saw Everton create the best one when James Tarkowski's header from a corner clipped the post just after the half-hour.
It was de ja vu after the break as Jarrad Branthwaite's glanced effort from another set-piece was saved at point-blank range by Stefan Ortega on 47 minutes.
Moyes' men soon stepped it up again on the hour when Abdoulaye Doucoure's jinking run and effort was tipped wide from Ortega once more.
The hosts were putting in a real defensive shift and had Jordan Pickford to thank with two timely stops from Savinho first, before denying substitute Omar Marmoush from point-blank range on 82 minutes.
Everton's resistance was broken two minutes later however, when Nico O'Reilly touched home Matheus Nunes' low cross for 1-0.
Mateo Kovacic then burst forward to steer home a second in stoppage-time and seal the points for City.
It sees Moyes’ men lose their six-match unbeaten home streak, following a run of one defeat from their last 12 games.
Despite a spirited performance, the Everton boss expressed a strong desire for his side to get better.
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Performance pleasing despite lapses
It was no secret that Everton were unlikely to have much of the ball against a dominant City, shifting the focus to an out-of-possession set-up and organised approach.
Despite a reactive game plan, Moyes' men stuck to task and limited the visitors to very few clear-cut opportunities.
Before City's late push in the final 20 minutes, they recorded just four shots on target from their eight attempts in that period.
The late lapses proved costly however, with Everton now managing just one clean sheet in their previous 10 Premier League games.
Their last shutout at home in fact, came during their 4-0 win against Leicester back in early February.
Moyes highlighted his delight with aspects of his side's display but felt Tarkowski’s absence affected the Blues’ second-half flow.
"For 60-odd minutes, we were okay. We played well and gave them a good game,” he said.
"Man City had big control in the second half but in the first half, we did a really good job in creating a few opportunities.
"James Tarkowski coming off was a big change in the game. It changed a lot of things, It shouldn't have but it did and their subs made the difference.”
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Struggle to take chances
From a Toffees' perspective, the statistics possibly fail to show the amount of missed opportunities.
The hosts threatened through Tarkowski's goalbound header in the opening 45, before penning City in during a few second half moments.
Branthwaite nodded an effort into the hands of Ortega, while Doucoure's driving run and shot, roared up the Goodison crowd again in hope of an eventual breakthrough.
Iliman Ndiaye then had a go, when he cut inside and lashed a shot wide of the far post on 72 minutes.
Everton actually recorded an xG total of 0.93 from their eight shots on the day, but only managed two attempts on target.
Maximising opportunities when they arrive was something the Everton boss was keen to stress, despite the positives.
“We played well, but just couldn't get a goal to go with it. I felt Man City got more joy from their subs than we did.
“We did a lot of good things, but just didn't have enough to get us over the line,” Moyes added.
“The people we brought in didn't make a difference in the game when we needed it to happen.
“Overall, the players have been great, and I can't complain. It says a lot that we’re disappointed to lose against Man City.”
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Positives to take
The Toffees' defeat spelled only their second from their last 13 outings and first home loss since mid-January.
That point in time was Moyes’ first game back, with the club still fighting at the bottom after going five games without a win.
From battling relegation to mid-table safety, Everton’s focus has since shifted on improving their performance levels to end their last season at Goodison on a high.
Despite defeat, the Everton boss remained clear on the positives and pointed out the Blues' increase in competitiveness over recent months.
“The positives are that we're in a really strong position, so we mustn't get carried away with one result.
“I think most people would have probably expected a defeat against Man City, but I think the way the team's been playing, the confidence they've got, the results we've had, it has given everybody the feeling that maybe we turn up and we beat Man City.
“We've drawn here against Liverpool, we've drawn here against Arsenal. So, we rightly felt we had a good chance today and I thought we did for long periods in the game.”
