Manchester City 1-1 Everton: Raheem Sterling rescues a point after Wayne Rooney's 200th Premier League goal as both sides end with 10 men

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He's finished, you know. He doesn't score, he doesn't contribute. He should have just packed it in, or gone to China or the United States, for the money. He has nothing left to give to Premier League football. He's all washed up.

Yet somehow, here Wayne Rooney is. Two games, two goals, and a hugely impressive point this time away to one of the title favourites. As wrongly disadvantaged as Manchester City were by the dismissal of Kyle Walker, this was so close to the stuff of dreams for Rooney.

After an opening-day winner against Stoke, this could have been another, and back in Manchester, at the home of long-standing and bitter rivals. It wasn't to be.  

Raheem Sterling rescued a point for Manchester City after Wayne Rooney's 200th Premier League goal

David Silva punches the air after seeing Sterling's effort draw City level late on against Everton at the Etihad

Wayne Rooney cups his ears after scoring the goal to put Everton ahead against his old foes Manchester City

The Everton striker, clearly not a popular man at the Etihad, leaps in the air in celebration after grabbing his goal

City's evening took another turn south when summer arrival Kyle Walker was sent off just before half-time

Walker was sent off for a second bookable offence after what looked a soft foul on Everton youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

Man City (3-1-4-2): Ederson 5.5, Kompany 7, Stones 6 (Danilo 65, 7), Otamendi 6.5, Fernandinho 6, Walker 5.5, De Bruyne 6.5, Silva 6.5, Sane 5.5 (B Silva 69, 6.5), Aguero 6, Gabriel Jesus 5 (Sterling 46, 7).

Unused subs: Bravo, Mangala, Toure, Foden.

Bookings: Walker, Kompany

Sent off: Walker  

Goals: Sterling 82 

Everton (3-4-2-1): Pickford 7, Keane 6.5, Williams 6.5 (Klaassen Williams 61, 6), Jagielka 8, Holgate 6, Schneiderlin 5, Gueye 6, Baines 7, Calvert-Lewin 7, Davies 6 (Sigurdsson61, 6), Rooney 7 (Besic 90).

Unused subs: Mirallas, Martina, Stekelenburg, Lookman.

Bookings: Schneiderlin, Davies, Rooney

Sent off: Schneiderlin 

Goals: Rooney 34

Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)

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A look at Wayne Rooney's goal from Sportsmail's excellent Match Zone service. More graphics, stats and heat maps can be found HERE

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With eight minutes to go, Rooney's triumph was denied by an equaliser from Raheem Sterling. Still, it was better than all but the most diehard Evertonian would have expected. This was supposed to be a comfortable three points for City, who last dropped points in the opening home game of the season in 2006. Instead, they were made to fight all the way.

Ultimately, intense pressure — even with 10 men — told. Danilo crossed, Mason Holgate's headed clearance fell short, Sterling finally beat the excellent Jordan Pickford with his shot. Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off for a foul on Sergio Aguero, his second yellow card offence, but it was too late for City to take full advantage. The locals had to content themselves with jeering Rooney as he was withdrawn during Ronald Koeman's reorganisation. He'll take that all night — particularly from them.

Rooney linked, he slowed the game, he calmed it all down. Somehow, he also found the energy to run farther than any Everton player: 10.7km. Not bad for a player with no legs.

And Everton hung on for a point. Against the odds, a team built largely on youth, with eight English starting players — the most the club has sent out since 1996 — held on against the might of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. 

Fireworks go off ahead of the pre-match presentations as City's players enter the Etihad pitch for the first time this season

The smoke from the pre-match pyrotechnics gave the early stages an atmospheric feel as the smoke lingered in the ground

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was in the stands at the Etihad, as was Old Trafford legend Sir Alex Ferguson

Pickford, in goal, was outstanding, so too the defence. Every Evertonian worked his socks off, and Koeman marshalled them well.

Could the first half have gone any worse for City? Hardly. Not just a goal, but a Rooney goal. Not just a red card, but a red card in false circumstances for Walker. It wasn't deserved and some will argue it directly resulted in Everton's point, yet there was determination from Koeman's side, and the energy of youth.

The goal may have been scored by a man who has been around long enough to have now scored 200 of them in the Premier League but it was set up by Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Everton's future.

So while City were unlucky with the sending-off, there can be no complaints about Everton's lead. Leroy Sane, deployed as a glorified left wing-back, gave the ball away to Holgate, who fed the lively Calvert-Lewin. His run was excellent, City's attempt to thwart it less so. A final attempt to cut out the cross was missed by Fernandinho, and the ball was fed inside to Rooney. He'd been quiet to here, but this was his moment.

He opened his body and put the ball through the legs of new goalkeeper Ederson. It clipped his heel on the way through, but was going in anyway. A moment of supreme vindication. Rooney wheeled away, hands cupping his ears, drinking in first the silence, then the shock and anger. 

Morgan Schneiderlin slides in late on City striker Sergio Aguero in a bid to prevent a counter from the home side

Schneiderlin could have no compaints as he was booked by referee Robert Madley for his foul on Aguero

Everton's visit to the Etihad saw Rooney go up against old foe Vincent Kompany, here the City captain wins a header

There was minute's applause in tribute to the victims of the terror attacks in Manchester and Barcelona in the 22nd minute

Gabriel Jesus manages to fire in an effort at goal as Ashley Williams tries to get in a block during the first half

And there was plenty of it. There was no injustice in Walker's first booking for a foul on Leighton Baines in the 42nd minute. Yet his dismissal for a perceived elbow on Calvert-Lewin was harsh.

The pair appeared to come together around a high ball, no more. It was hard to see a raised arm from Walker, or a moment when he didn't have his eyes on the ball. Maybe the hint of a glance to check Calvert-Lewin's positioning. Perhaps referee Bobby Madley saw that and thought he was measuring him up for a clout.

It didn't look that way to most who saw the replay. Calvert-Lewin went down, though, and Madley showed Walker his second yellow to general astonishment. Guardiola is not one to shore up a 10-man team with overly defensive measures, however, and certainly not when chasing the game.

His bravery brought reward. At half-time he removed forward Gabriel Jesus, but his replacement was Sterling, taking Walker's role. He could have put a centre half out there, he could have deployed a defensive midfielder. He chose a forward instead, and Sterling scored.

David Silva came within inches of putting the home side ahead but saw his effort come back off the base of the post

The Spaniard reacts with disappointment after seeing his effort go so close to giving his side the lead

Moments later at the other end Rooney gave Everton the lead as the ball slipped through City keeper Ederson

Rooney got on the end of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's pull-back and watched as his first-time effort trickled over the line

The former United captain celebrates his goal at the home of their Manchester rivals as Leighton Baines watches on

Walker got his marching orders for a second bookable offence following this coming together with Calvert-Lewin

Calvert-Lewin lays prone on the ground after being barged by Walker, the City man earned a second yellow for the incident

Kompany and several City players surround referee Madley as the official dishes out a red card to an incredulous Walker

City boss Pep Guardiola continued his complaints, along with Walker, to fourth official Michael Oliver on the touchline

Even Guardiola's defenders are not defenders much of the time, it seems. Two of Pickford's saves in the first-half — and this was a fine night for the young man, in front of England manager Gareth Southgate — came from shots by Nicolas Otamendi, a centre half.

Other avenues to goal adhered to convention. David Silva hit a post, while Phil Jagielka was in excellent form, repelling Aguero on many fronts. He cleared an attempted lob off the line after 26 minutes and, from the next attack, recovered to deny him in even more spectacular fashion.

Kevin De Bruyne set up the move, Aguero moving into the area as, at a vital moment, Jagielka slipped. A goal looked certain, yet Aguero delayed and delayed and Jagielka somehow moved his prone body into the right position to block. Incredible stuff.

As Guardiola reshuffled his pack at the break he introduced Raheem Sterling, here the substitute brought down by Baines

Kevin De Bruyne had a good opportunity from a free-kick 25 yards out but fired his effort straight into the wall

Everton introduced £45million new signing Gylfi Sigurdsson in the second half as they tried to hang on to their lead

Bernardo Silva was summoned off the bench for City as they chased the game, here the former Monaco man fires at goal

City captain Kompany cannot hide his frustration as they try to get back into the game against visitors Everton

Sterling struck in the 82nd minute as City's pressure finally told, Mason Holgate's error handing him the chance

Schneiderlin was sent off late in the contest after sliding in on Aguero, ensuring both sides ended with 10 men

The Everton midfielder points his finger at Aguero, blaming the City striker for his late second yellow card