City was seven points behind Liverpool on 19 January but the win sees it move level with Jurgen Klopp's Reds, the defending champion taking over at the summit on goal difference.

Aymeric Laporte's second league goal of the season put City ahead in the final moments of the first half, Everton giving the defender the freedom of the penalty area to head past Jordan Pickford.

The visitor wasted a number of chances to extend its lead before Gabriel Jesus wrapped things up in stoppage time, condemning struggling Everton to a seventh defeat in its last 10 league matches.

Leroy Sane missed the game's first chance in the third minute and Laporte could do no better with a quarter of an hour played, the unmarked defender somehow heading wide from Ilkay Gundogan's left-wing corner. 

City's wastefulness in front of goal continued when Gundogan met David Silva's low delivery, the Germany international somehow turning the ball onto the crossbar from close range. 

Everton slowly grew into the game and although it began to pose a threat, Ederson was rarely worried as the host ran out of ideas in the final third. 

That proved costly as City broke the deadlock on the brink of half-time, Laporte making amends for his earlier faux pas with a powerful header from David Silva's precise free-kick.

Ederson was finally called into action early in the second half, the Brazilian having no problems holding onto Idrissa Gueye's long-range effort.

It did not take City long to re-establish control, however, and Sergio Aguero almost added to his 14 league goals with an acrobatic effort, the striker leaping into action after David Silva had blocked Pickford's progress to a high ball.

City's profligacy continued as substitute Raheem Sterling saw an effort deflected over, but Jesus made no mistake in the seventh added minute, sending a looping header into the net after his initial effort had been saved.