Raheem Sterling cancels out Wayne Rooney's landmark strike as Manchester City secure late draw with Everton

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For long periods, it looked as though Manchester City would be frustrated here and indeed they may well be when they look back on the match this week. Yet, in context, this was an important point earned when all appeared to be going against them.

Pep Guardiola’s side dominated an effective but unadventurous Everton, who in fairness, did not need to show much ambition once Wayne Rooney, on his first return to Manchester, put them ahead towards the close of the first half with his 200th Premier League goal. Their advantage was strengthened minutes later in the evening’s key incident, with Kyle Walker sent off for barging youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

At that point, serious questions could have been asked about City’s pre-season tag of title favourites but a late, sweet strike on the volley from substitute Raheem Sterling salvaged what, even at this early stage of the campaign, could prove to be an significant comeback against a side that will test the rest of the top six clubs.

Guardiola was looking to avenge the heaviest league defeat of his managerial career, which Everton inflicted at Goodison Park with a 4-0 triumph back in January. It was the highlight of Ronald Koeman’s first season in charge and this summer has seen further cause for optimism, with a raft of expensive signings. Their latest acquisition, the £45m Gylfi Sigurdsson, started on the substitutes’ bench.

If Everton are to make good on a promising off-season, however, it is games like this in which they need to pick up points regularly. This was the first part of a run which will test the credentials of Koeman’s side, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to follow. The 20-year-old Calvert-Lewin, named alongside Rooney in attack, looked to get his side off to the best possible start but cracked an effort from wide right wide of Ederson’s right-hand post.

It would be the visitors’ only sight of goal for a good while as City assumed control, holding the ball for long periods of play in the final third. Their problem was fashioning an opening. David Silva and Sergio Aguero were, in particular, finding space but no breakthrough. The latter should have pulled the trigger when played through on goal just after the half-hour mark but instead dallied and saw a prone Phil Jagielka clear Everton’s line. Aguero almost atoned minutes later by creating an opening for Silva with a delightful chipped pass but the Spaniard’s strike smashed against the post.

It was all City but then it all fell apart. Guardiola’s full-back overhaul this summer cost him £130m but his decision to deploy Leroy Sane, a natural winger, in the position here cost him the first goal. The youngster’s loose pass ceded possession to his opposite number Mason Holgate who, amid some ramshackle City defending, slipped Calvert-Lewin in with ease. The forward squared to find Rooney, whose first-time finish deflected onto the post off Ederson’s legs and rolled in.

After such dominance, City were one down and it would get worse before half-time. Walker, on his home debut, had only just received a booking when he barged into Calvert-Lewin while contesting a high ball. The severity of the foul was debatable but the intent was clear and Bobby Madley saw enough in it to issue Walker with his marching orders.

Guardiola was incensed and spent the moments preceding the start of the second half re-enacting the incident with fourth official and reluctant participant Michael Oliver. The Catalan’s remaining 10 players tried to find a more proactive solution once play re-started but they too were frustrated. City’s desperation was clear as early as the 48th minute, when Pickford picked the ball up after a slide tackle by Baines. The home players and support screamed for a backpass but Madley rightly waved their frantic protests away.

Everton, by contrast, were composed to a man. Happy to cede possession so long as they stayed compact and organised, they restricted City to meek efforts from range. By the hour mark, Koeman felt it safe enough to introduce Sigurdsson, whose first real action saw him send in a devilish free-kick. Ederson rushed off his line to punch it clear from danger.

City sent on one of their own new boys, Bernardo Silva, in response and the £43m acquisition from Monaco had his side’s first effort on goal for some time, limply shooting wide of Pickford’s left-hand post after Aguero’s trickery. Another substitute, Sterling, should have equalised moments later after more neat interplay but blazed his effort over.

The hosts were turning the screw now and eventually their equaliser came. Danilo’s cross from the left was dealt with by Ashley Williams, but not sufficiently. His header only went as far as the boot of Sterling, who seamlessly volleyed past a helpless Pickford and into the bottom-left hand corner.

Level on the scoreboard, the two sides were soon level in terms of personnel when with two minutes of regulation time remaining, Morgan Schneiderlin received his second yellow card of the night for a late tackle on Aguero. Again, Madley's decision was contentious. City now smelled blood but could not cap off their comeback. A hard-fought point would be all they would take.

Manchester City (3-5-2): Ederson; Otamendi, Stones, Kompany; Walker, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D. Silva, Sane; Jesus, Aguero.

Substitutes not used: Bravo, Danilo, Mangala, Toure, Foden, Sterling, B. Silva.

Everton (3-5-2): Pickford; Keane, Williams, Jagielka; Holgate, Gueye, Schniederlin, Davies, Baines; Rooney, Calvert-Lewin.

Substitutes not used: Stekelenburg, Mirallas, Martina, Sigurdsson, Klaassen, Besic, Lookman.

Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)