THE NOTEBOOK: Everton need to improve their recruitment drastically to avoid the same old mistakes

Manchester City took one step closer to winning the Premier League title with a comfortable 3-0 win over Everton.

Captain Ilkay Gundogan scored a fine brace while record breaker Erling Haaland poked in too, and, following Arsenal’s defeat against Brighton, City now need just one more win to confirm their latest title.

The result did no favours for Everton in their relegation battle, but it wasn’t a game they expected to take points from, and they will now turn their attention to Wolves and Bournemouth as they look to secure their Premier League survival.

Sean Dyche’s side are 17th in the league table, but could slip into the relegation zone when Leicester play Liverpool on Monday. 

Here are some of the more unusual talking points from Everton 0-3 Manchester City, as discussed by Sportsmail’s Dominic King. 

Manchester City controlled proceedings as they stormed to a three-nil lead over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday

Erling Haaland scored City’s second of the 3-0 win, sandwiched between Ilkay Gundogan’s two goals

Little time for Phillips again

Fascinating to watch the scene unfold between Kalvin Phillips and Pep Guardiola as the England midfielder waited to come on. Guardiola was perched at one end of his technical area, Phillips stood awkwardly at the opposite end.

Phillips was stripped and ready to come on from the 84th minute but you wondered why, with the game in safe keeping from the moment Ilkay Gundogan made it 3-0, he wasn’t given more of a chance to stretch his legs – a view that was strengthened when Rodri needed treatment late on.

This, we can kindly say, has been a challenging first year at the Etihad Stadium for Phillips. He hasn’t started a Premier League game since he joined City and this cameo, in which his was one significant pass was cut out, took his time on the pitch to 105 minutes across nine cameo appearances.

Kalvin Phillips has had limited game time this season and got just a few minutes on Sunday

Haaland short of Dean 

Erling Haaland won’t get anywhere near Dixie Dean’s record of 60 league goals in a season but, as Manchester City’s team coach drove into Goodison Park, he will have saw the huge statue in honour master marksman. 

Haaland nudged his tally up to 52 with his first half header. He potentially has six more games to try and eclipse Dean’s tally of 63 in all competitions in 1927-28.

Toffees can’t afford the same recruitment mistakes

One thing that Everton must rectify in the summer is their player recruitment strategy. How could it be that for all they have invested over the last seven years, an injury to Vitalii Mykolenko in training on Saturday meant they were unable to play a left-footed player at left-back?

Mason Holgate was thrust into the breach but his afternoon was torrid – an early, weak back pass did nothing for his confidence – and he was eventually substituted in the second half.

Ruben Vinagre was signed on loan from Sporting Lisbon last summer to provide cover but he has made only four appearances – the last of which was last November – and injury has limited him to 24 minutes in the Premier League. They can’t keep making mistakes.

Vitalii Mykolenko was injured in training and Everton had to scrape the barrel to fill the void

His replacement, Mason Holgate, had a torrid time of things before being substituted

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, was substituted with a tight groin, his latest injury concern

Groundhog Day for DCL

Anxieties amongst Everton supporters have returned ahead of the last two games, not least as Dominic Calvert-Lewin was substituted with a tight groin. 

Pep Guardiola referred to Everton as being “the best set piece team in the Premier League since Sean Dyche arrived” but they need more of a threat than just free-kicks and corners.

Walker now a bargain

Kyle Walker wouldn’t win any popularity contests amongst opposition supporters but it must be recognised what an exceptional footballer he is; one piece of defending in the first half, when he gave Abdoulaye Doucoure five yards but still caught him, was him to a tee. 

There was a time his £50million transfer fee from Tottenham was deemed crazy. He’s proven it to be a bargain.