Diniyar Bilyaletdinov nodded straight at Given when well placed and then Landon Donovan, who impressed on his home debut, lifted the ball over the keeper but wide of the far post.

The Irish shot-stopper produced a stunning save to deny the hosts just before the half hour mark. Bilyaletdinov burst past Petrov in the box but saw his rasping left footer tipped over.

Pienaar and Fellaini dominated the centre of the park with City’s £28m duo Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong left chasing shadows.

The goal Everton’s dominance deserved finally arrived in the 36th minute. Pablo Zabaleta brought down Saha just outside the box and Pienaar stepped up to curl the free-kick over the wall and inside Given’s near post.

It was the third successive league game in which the little South African has found the net and he raced off to share his joy with one of the stewards.

City were on the ropes and Everton went for the jugular. Bilyaletdinov was agonisingly close again before on the stroke of half-time Micah Richards pressed the self-destruct button.

There was little danger as the defender marshalled Saha near the edge of the box but his continuous shirt-tugging gave Andre Marriner little choice but to point to the point.

Saha converted to notch his 11th of the campaign and Goodison was in dreamland. Outclassed, out-thought and out-muscled, City had been truly woeful and in the second half they barely improved.

Carlos Tevez, who had scored seven in his previous four league games, was expertly marshalled by rock-solid John Heitinga and Sylvain Distin, who returned from injury to make his first start since December 2.

The prolific Argentinian spent most of the game either on his backside or readjusting his alice band, while Bellamy continuously snarled at his team-mates for the pitiful lack of service.

The early loss of Roque Santa Cruz to injury hardly helped their cause and his replacement Robinho suffered the insult of being substituted himself on the hour mark.

The £32.5m Brazilian, who is reported to earn £160,000 a week, strolled around seemingly disinterested and the only surprise was that Mancini waited so long to haul him off.

In stark contrast, when Distin ran out of gas, young full-back Seamus Coleman came on and fitted in seamlessly with Phil Neville switching to centre-back.

Coleman, who cost roughly the same as three days wages for Robinho, gave everything for the cause and helped ensure City never had a sniff.

In fact Everton should have rubbed salt into the visitors’ wounds.

With 12 minutes to go Fellaini powered Donovan’s corner goalwards but Given somehow touched it onto the bar and Bilyaletdinov wastefully lashed the rebound over.

Next it was Cahill’s turn to curse his luck as his header from Leighton Baines’ cross left Given beaten but bounced back off the woodwork.

“Lescott, what’s the score?” chanted the home supporters.

This was a sweet triumph. In fact you could say it was priceless.