Manuel Akanji assured Man City will rediscover spark after irritating run

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Manuel Akanji remains confident Manchester City will rediscover their spark despite yet another frustrating result for the ailing champions.

City’s malaise now looks to have taken root after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.

They at least avoided the indignity of a 10th defeat in 13 games in all competitions, but the surrendered two points left them 14 behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

With just one win since October, it has been a dramatic fall from grace for Pep Guardiola’s previously all-conquering side but defender Akanji remains upbeat.

The Switzerland international said: “It felt like a frustrating afternoon but, when you compare it to the other matches, we played really well from the first minute to the last.

“We tried to score a goal, we tried to play offensive football, but they basically scored out of nowhere. We did enough to win the match but it didn’t turn our way.

“We need to keep on working and the next opportunity is in a few days. There’s nothing else we can do at the moment. We’re trying everything.

“We’ve had lots of injuries, so it’s not easy at the moment, but even now we will find a way and come out of this and luck will come again on our side.”

City had started strongly and with an apparent determination to get back to winning ways, taking a deserved early lead with a deflected strike from Bernardo Silva.

But Silva squandered a good chance to double the lead and Everton drew level through Iliman Ndiaye before the break.

Everton then noticeably grew in confidence after Jordan Pickford saved a penalty from Erling Haaland – early in the second half – and City laboured through the remainder of the encounter.

The visitors might even have snatched victory had Jack Harrison shown more composure on a late breakaway.

Akanji, however, is optimistic and, ahead of a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester on Sunday, does not believe a lot needs to change for City’s luck to turn.

The 29-year-old said: “A match like this basically happens to us every year. I remember two years ago at Everton at home we had lots of chances and they had one shot from 20 metres that went in and we weren’t able to score. It happens.

“In a bad run like this it’s hard to explain but we need to keep on working and the next opportunity is in a few days.

“Sometimes you have a bad run and things don’t go your way, so it’s good to look at things that aren’t working out that well – but you shouldn’t be at the point where you’re changing everything because not everything was good before and not everything is bad now.

“I still believe that we will come back to the way we used to play – it will come sooner or later.”