AFTER winning four games in a row to ease the burden of a 10-point deduction, Everton are once again beginning to feel the effects of the penalty applied by the Premier League.

The team have been playing well and were unlucky not to take anything from a trip to Spurs before Christmas, but a defeat there, followed up by a loss to Manchester City on Wednesday night, sees them just a point above the relegation zone.

That they are not in that relegation zone is a testament to how well they have played this season, registering 19 points from their last 10 league games and generally looking like they can get something from any game.

Everton showed as much when they took the lead against City through Jack Harrison from Dwight McNeil’s cross.

But the visitors came back into the game via an excellent Phil Foden strike from outside the area, and a controversially awarded penalty for handball on Amadou Onana, scored by Julian Alvarez.

Everton had a chance to make it 2-2 when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was set up by Harrison but his shot went wide.

City finished the game off by scoring a third after Alvarez pressured Jordan Pickford into an error and Bernardo Silva curled a shot into an unguarded net.

“The mentality was still excellent,” Everton boss Dyche said after the game. 

“You know we are stretched and we've asked a lot of Andre [Gomes] tonight we asked Beto to come in who hasn’t played as much football to try and utilise the squad the best we can.

“We have a brilliant chance to go back into the game with Dom which doesn't go our way and you never know after that.

“The third kills the game because we were actually getting a feel back of the game and unfortunate that one goes against us and then you know they’re a real hard side to come back against from there.”