Mancini and Moyes sent off as Everton sink City

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and Everton boss David Moyes were sent off after a touchline row as the visitors secured a 2-0 victory at Eastlands on Wednesday which seriously dents City’s hopes of a top four finish.

Goals from Australia midfielder Tim Cahill and Spain’s Mikel Arteta ensured Moyes’ men became the first team to leave City with three points since Fulham in April 2009, but the main talking point was the bizarre late incident which led to both bosses being dismissed.

The clash started after the ball flew out of play and was caught by Moyes, standing in the manager’s technical area.

As the Scotsman appeared to be looking to throw the ball to a City player, Mancini stormed into the Everton touchline area and wrestled the ball from his grasp violently and engaged in a war of words.

The incident continued and left referee Peter Walton with no choice but to send the pair down the tunnel although it was the City manager, whose position will come under increasing scrutiny after this setback, who appeared largely to blame.

The defeat left City in fifth place, two points behind Tottenham in the race for the last Champions League place.

City had dominated the first half and had seen Micah Richards’ goalbound header tipped onto the bar by Tim Howard in the 17th minute.

The industrious Carlos Tevez also looked in the mood to continue his current rich vein of form and Howard had to save at his feet as the Argentina international forward chased Stephen Ireland’s tidy 23rd minute through ball.

Howard then punched the ball off Tevez’s head as he looked poised to meet Adam Johnson’s inswinging cross and Johnson and Ireland linked up to present Craig Bellamy with a shooting opportunity from the edge of the Everton area, which US international Howard smothered at the second attempt.

But Cahill stunned City with a classic counter-attack goal, just after the half hour, having won a contentious free-kick following a tussle with Gareth Barry which referee Walton gave in Everton’s favour.

Down on the by-line, Arteta took a clever short dead ball to Leighton Baines, on the edge of the City area, and the England left-back drove in a venomous cross-shot which was met by Cahill who guided a perfect header past Shay Given from just outside the six-yard line.

The situation might have worsened for them before the interval after a clumsy slip by Kolo Toure let in Louis Saha with Vincent Kompany eventually bringing down Cahill 20 yards from goal and free-kick specialist Arteta drove his shot into the City wall.

City’s frustration was showing, however, and before the interval Given was booked for sprinting all the way into the Everton half to remonstrate with referee Walton, claiming he should have booked Arteta for a foul.

The home side opened the second half looking for a much-needed equaliser but it was Everton who almost claimed the crucial second goal when a dreadful Kompany clearance flew straight to Leon Osman and his 20-yard shot deflected off the defender and passed inches beyond Given’s left-hand post.

The City crowd was growing impatient and their mood was not helped when Tevez wasted a rare chance, curling a free-kick straight at Howard, and Shaun Wright-Phillips half-volley flew wildly off the mark.

City enjoyed an embarrassment of possession without seriously testing Howard and Everton’s deciding goal, five minutes from time, was a superb effort started when Osman played substitute Jack Rodwell into the area where he twice beat Kompany and produced a cross which Cahill dummied and Arteta stroked in from a dozen yards.