EPL PICS: City ease past Fulham; Everton eke out draw at Burnley

IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Manchester City provisionally broke into the Premier League top four after first-half goals from Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne gave them a comfortable 2-0 home win over struggling Fulham on Saturday.

The result lifted City into fourth place on 18 points from 10 games while Fulham, who suffered a 10th straight defeat to their rivals in all competitions, stayed 17th on seven points from 11 matches, just outside the relegation zone.

City dominated throughout and only a string of superb saves from Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola denied them a bigger win after Sterling fired the hosts ahead in the fifth minute and De Bruyne converted a 26th-minute penalty.

Areola kept out a Sterling sitter barely a minute before the England forward beat him with a clinical finish from inside the penalty area after he was put through by De Bruyne.

The pair constructed City's second goal too as Belgian international De Bruyne sent Areola the wrong way with his spot kick after Joachim Anderson fouled the irrepressible Sterling.

Areola then denied Sterling and De Bruyne several times and the latter also hit the woodwork after a flowing move, with Fulham failing to muster anything meaningful up front in a lop-sided contest.

Keepers shine as Calvert-Lewin earns Everton draw at Burnley

Goalkeepers were to the fore as Everton drew 1-1 at Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday after Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out Robbie Brady's early opener for the hosts.

Carlo Ancelotti's Everton, seventh in the table, have now won just once in their last six games while Burnley remain second-bottom despite their most positive display of the season.

England manager Gareth Southgate was at Turf Moor and saw his first and second choice keepers make crucial saves.

Everton's Jordan Pickford dived superbly to keep out a close-range Chris Wood header, while Burnley's Nick Pope denied Gylfi Sigurdsson at the death with a fine save with his feet.

Burnley had grabbed the lead in the third minute when Everton midfielder Allan gave the ball away and Ashley Westwood fed Irishman Brady on the edge of the box who, with his unfavoured right-foot, drilled the ball into the bottom corner.

Pope's ability to use his feet was evident when he kept out a close-range Calvert-Lewin effort from an Alex Iwobi cross.

Everton had the alertness of Pickford to thank in the 41st minute when Dwight McNeil slipped Wood through but the keeper was out quickly to foil the Burnley striker.

England forward Calvert-Lewin brought Everton level on the stroke of halftime, timing his run perfectly as he slid in to meet a low cross from the left by Richarlison for his 11th league goal of the season.

Pickford denied Wood again in the 84th, diving to palm away a firm header from a corner, and then Pope kept out Sigurdsson with an excellent save with his outstretched right foot.

McNeil failed to make the most of a late chance for Burnley, scuffing his shot after the ball came to him alone in a central position.

It was a result which helps neither side particularly with Burnley stuck in the relegation zone with six points from 10 games. Everton have 17 from 11, four points off the pace.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, after his 200th Premier League game, felt Everton's goal should have been ruled out for a push on Westwood in the build-up.

"I'm aggrieved with the foul that wasn't given in the build-up for their goal. We've had too many of those go against us," he said.

"Ashley Westwood has turned out of trouble, he's clipped a tiny amount. I don't want that to be a foul but they are given every week.

"I am always scratching my head in the modern game and it will be a non contact sport soon," he added.

Ancelotti felt a draw was a fair outcome.

"We have to accept the performance and the result. We suffered mentally but we were in the game and until the end we played a good game," said the Italian.