Manchester City boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season as they scored two late goals to earn a 2-0 win over Everton.

City had to wait until the 84th minute to break the deadlock on their final trip to Goodison Park, where youngster Nico O’Reilly put them in front with a close-range finish after Everton’s defence had frustrated Pep Guardiola’s side for much of the match.

Guardiola would have been hoping that his side’s 5-2 win over Crystal Palace last time out marked a turning point in the run-in. Instead, City endured a difficult time, struggling to find rhythm or clear chances for much of the match.

But it was O’Reilly – fresh off his first senior goal against Palace – who delivered, meeting Matheus Nunes’ low cross with a composed first-time finish to open the scoring.

Once one goal arrived, another followed as Mateo Kovacic sealed the points with an excellent finish on the slide in stoppage time.

Everton had hit the post in the best chance of a cagey first half through a glanced header by James Tarkowski, who subsequently went off injured, while Kevin De Bruyne saw his curling strike superbly blocked away by Jake O’Brien.

Jarrad Branthwaite also saw a close-range header saved by Stefan Ortega early in the second half, while Savinho tested Jordan Pickford with a handful of driven shots as City ended the night with 2.09 expected goals (xG), a fair step up from Everton’s 0.93 xG.

City move into fourth place, just one point behind Newcastle United prior to the Magpies’ clash with Aston Villa, while Everton remain in 13th place, having lost a Premier League game at home for the first time since January.

Data debrief: Tarkowski’s immense starting run at risk?

James Tarkowski is on a run of 111 consecutive Premier League starts. The only outfield players with more successive starts in the competition’s history are Frank Lampard (112 consecutive starts ending in December 2005) and Wayne Bridge (113 consecutive starts ending in January 2003).

It is a shame that the veteran defender was forced off with an injury, as it looks like that run could now come to an end. And after he went off, Everton struggled to keep City at bay. The visitors finished with 12 shots, and 2.09 expected goals, but five of their seven shots on target came in the second half.

O'Reilly made the difference, and he is certainly a bright spark.

At 20 years and 29 days, he became the fourth-youngest player to score in back-to-back Premier League appearances for City after Kelechi Iheanacho (19 years and 211d), Gabriel Jesus (19 years 308 days), and Phil Foden (20 years and 25 days).

O'Reilly has had a hand in six goals across his last six appearances for City in all competitions (four goals, two assists).