City slipped to an agonising 3-2 defeat this afternoon in an exciting encounter against Everton at the Britannia Stadium.

Tim Cahill's late header secured all three points for the visitors who were under the cosh for long periods of the game.

Yakubu fired the visitors into the lead on 40 minutes before Victor Anichebe doubled their advantage shortly after the half time interval.

However City refused to lie down and got back into the game through a superb strike from Seyi Olofinjana, before Phil Jagielka headed into his own net following Rory Delap's dangerous long throw.

With City pressing for what would have been a deserved winner, the Toffees stole all three points through Australian international Cahill who headed the ball home from a corner.

Manager Tony Pulis handed debuts to new signings Danny Higginbotham and Ibrahima Sonko, while fellow new boy Michael Tonge was awarded a place on the bench.

Amdy Faye's suspension paved the way for Sonko who moved into the heart of defence with Abdoulaye Faye moving into central midfield to partner Nigerian international Seyi Olofinjana.

Thomas Sorensen, Andy Griffin and Ricardo Fuller all passed late fitness tests ahead of the match, which was beamed to over 800 million people worldwide live on Sky.

An electric atmosphere was rocking the stadium and the roof was almost taken off after just two minutes as a trademark Rory Delap throw-in almost crept into the net.

City looked bright, creative and inventive early on with Seyi Olofinjana and Faye linking up well as the hosts took control of the early stages.

Some neat football down the right flank between Fuller and Liam Lawrence resulted in the first real chance of the game, however former Manchester United stopper Tim Howard saved superbly down to his right to thwart City's Jamaican striker.

David Moyes side gradually began to show why they finished a superb fifth last campaign with Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill showing real signs of quality.

New £15,000,000 signing Marouane Fellaini launched an audacious effort from 30 yards which Griffin did superbly well to block inside the penalty area.

The Toffee's powerful striker Yakubu then fired wide from range before Faye smashed the ball just over the bar from 18-yards.

With just five minutes of the first half remaining City suffered a cruel blow as Yakubu went one better and put the visitors into the lead.

The Nigerian international striker calmly slipped the ball beyond Sorensen and into the bottom right hand corner after good work from Cahill.

Neither side made any changes during the half time interval, and within four minutes of the restart disaster struck as Everton doubled their advantage.

Spanish international Arteta curled in a dangerous ball which Anichibe cutely flicked beyond the City defenders and in to the back of the net via the post.

Minutes later through the Potters were back in it thanks to moment of brilliance from Olofinjana.

The powerful midfielder latched on to a poor defensive clearance and spectacularly volleyed the ball home from 15 yards, leaving Howard stranded, and sending 24,000 City supporters wild.

The Potters had the ball in the net again minutes later when Fuller outmuscled Yobo, rounded Howard and slotted the ball home but the referee wrongly disallowed the goal for an alleged foul on the Everton defender.

The home side didn't have to wait long for a deserved equaliser as City gained more and more momentum.

Another Delap long throw caused confusion in the away penalty area and Jagielka got the last touch as the ball flicked off his head and past Howard into his own net.

The game began to heat up as Everton were awarded a free-kick for a handball by Leon Cort when, replays showed that the former Palace defender committed the offense inside the penalty area.

Everton boss David Moyes' protests led to him being sent to the stand.

City unluckily fell behind with a quarter of an hour to go, when Cahill met a corner with his head and powered the ball past Sorensen.

City went for the jugular with ten minutes remaining as Pulis sent on debutant Tonge and Mamady Sidibe in place of Faye and Kitson.

The hosts should have been awarded a penalty in the dying stages after Lawrence's close range effort looked to have been blocked by Joleon Lescott's outstretched arm, before Fuller fired over inside the box moments later.

Pulis made his last throw of the dice when Cresswell replaced Lawrence on 85 minutes.

Stoke piled on the pressure in the last few minutes and came close when Fuller fired against the side netting, and sixty seconds later Higginbotham went even closer at the back post but Howard produced an outstanding save to palm the ball around the post.

Despite the Potters' best efforts they were unable to force an equaliser and left the Britannia empty handed, but with plenty of positives.