Sam Allardyce has confessed that Manchester City "were too good" for Everton in Saturday evening's Premier League meeting, as his side fell to a 3-1 loss at Goodison Park.

The Toffees, who still have aspirations of securing a European spot, were two goals behind after just 12 minutes and shipped a third before the interval.

Allardyce was pleased with the response shown by his players in the second half to pull a goal back through Yannick Bolasie, and believes that things could have turned out differently had Everton taken one of their earlier chances.

"Manchester City are a top quality team, you have to admire a team that especially in the first half were too good for you," he told BBC Sport. "As much as the lads tried it was something we couldn't cope with.

"The real turning point was when we should've scored with Bolasie and gone 1-1 and they scored. It was very difficult when they scored; I thought [David] Silva was offside for one of the goals but what can you do.

"We fought, battled, scored and tried to go until the very end. All their 11 are fantastic in that system and that's why they are so far ahead."

Everton have now lost four of their last six games and are six points adrift of Burnley in seventh place, having played a game more than the Clarets.