With Arsenal not in action until later, and Liverpool playing against Manchester United on Monday (AEDT), City took the chance to apply the pressure to its title rivals.

However, Pep Guardiola's side did not have it all its own way at Etihad Stadium, where Beto passed up a huge chance for Everton early on.

Set up by the impressive Iliman Ndiaye, Beto somehow failed to score with the goal at his mercy.

The most involvement Haaland had in the first half was when his challenge forced Jake O'Brien into heading against his own crossbar, while Ndiaye stung Gianluigi Donnarumma's palms at the other end before a glut of half-chances for City before the break.

But Haaland took his first chance when it came in the 58th minute, planting a towering header home from Nico O'Reilly's floated centre.

Haaland made it 2-0 five minutes later, with a deflected, low finish doing for Jordan Pickford, who twice denied the Norway international his hat-trick in second-half stoppage-time, as City extended its unbeaten run against Everton in the top tier to 17 games.

Haaland has now plundered 96 Premier League goals in just 105 games.

He is all set to smash the record, set by Alan Shearer in the 1995-1996 campaign, for the quickest player to a century of goals in the competition, which currently stands at 124 appearances.

The 25-year-old is already on 11 top-flight goals this season.