Good afternoon and welcome to live minute-by-minute updates as Manchester City welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. Guardiola's men can close the gap on league leaders Chelsea to three points with a win, meanwhile Benitez's Toffees are looking for their first victory in six league games.

FULL-TIME! City 3-0 Everton! That's it, City have secured all three points with a stylish 3-0 victory over Everton at the Etihad! Goals from Sterling, Rodri and Silva see City close the gap on league leaders Chelsea to just three points. Everton see their winless run in the Premier League extended to six matches.

Everton make another change as Allan is replaced by Onyango. There will be three minutes of additional time at the end of this match.

A third change for City as Palmer makes way for debutant James McAtee. A memorable moment for both these young players who receive warm receptions.

GOAL! City 3-0 Everton! It's a third goal for City, they are home and dry now! Palmer's shot is deflected into the path of Silva who passes the ball into the net to round off an enjoyable afternoon for the home side.

Much of the same from City. Pass and move, keep the ball, nothing silly. Everton will be determined not to concede anymore goals, they have defended well on the whole but were simply outdone by two moments of class.

CHANCE! That should have been a third for City! The ball is played across goal to Sterling who is alone with only Pickford to beat, but the goalkeeper throws himself at the feet of the City forward to prevent him from netting a second.

A second change for City as Laporte makes way, having been booked in the first half, with Nathan Ake replacing him in the backline. Guardiola looking to preserve the clean sheet as well as the three points.

Palmer would really love a goal to celebrate his start for City today. He sets his sight from range, but blazes the ball high and wide. Just over fifteen minutes remaining at the Etihad as City keep going in search of further goals.

With twenty minutes left to play, here is a snapshot of Rodri's wonder strike which doubled City's lead on 55 minutes...

City are dictating the tempo of this game to good effect. They slow things down, wait for their moment and then quickly go up a gear as they search for a third goal that would secure the victory.

Everton make their second change of the game as former City man Delph makes way for Rondon in an attacking change, as the Toffees look for a goal that would setup a nervous finale.

Walker drives through the Everton defence and the ball sits up for Palmer, but the youngster snatches at the shot, he cannot make clean contact and the chance fizzles out. There are more goals in this for City, if they want them.

City make their first change of the afternoon. Foden makes way for Mahrez as Guardiola may be starting to think ahead to their Champions League clash with PSG on Wednesday night.

GOAL! City 2-0 Everton! An absolute stunner from Rodri gives City a two-goal lead! Allan's clearance runs into the path of Rodri who belts a thunderous strike from distance into the top corner beyond a helpless Pickford. What a brilliant goal!

Everton are looking for opportunities to play when they do get the ball, but it is mainly City doing the initiating. Silva went down under a challenge from Keane, but the referee was not interested this time around.

City are back in control of the ball and dictating the flow of the game. Everton retreat into their defensive shape, but Iwobi has caught Cancelo on the follow through and the Portugal man goes down, but not for long.

KICK-OFF! We're back underway for the second half! Everton get the game going again and immediately look to come forward and ask questions of the City defence.

HALF-TIME! City 1-0 Everton. Townsend's free-kick is straight at Ederson and that draws the first half to a close. Sterling's goal in the final knockings of the first half is the difference between the teams.

Laporte fouls Townsend on the right side of the penalty area and goes into the book for his troubles. Can Everton snatch an equaliser before the break?

There will be three added minutes at the end of the first half. The goal was coming for City and had been for a while. Everton have defended brilliantly, but they could do nothing about that individual piece of quality from both Cancelo and Sterling.