Manchester City will host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, hoping to continue their impressive run of form.
Manchester City are coming into the game against Everton on the back of consecutive wins over Liverpool and Leeds United. Pep Guardiola’s side will be full of confidence and momentum heading into this contest, and they will be the firm favourites to pick up all three points.
The home side have an excellent record against Everton, and they have won their last ten matches against the Toffees across all competitions. Furthermore, Everton have failed to keep a clean sheet in the last four matches against Manchester City.
Manchester City will be under pressure to pick up all three points, especially with Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table. The Gunners will face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Everton are 17th in the league table, just one point above the relegation zone. Frank Lampard will be desperate to get his side’s season back on track with a win here. A win over Manchester City could give Everton a massive confidence boost.
"We have to be ready again" 💪 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/MrB6on0Jik
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 30, 2022
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be without the services of Ruben Dias, who is unavailable for several weeks due to a hamstring injury. In addition, Julian Alvarez has been given some time off after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina.
Pep Guardiola is expected to deploy a 4-3-3 formation, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo are expected to start as the full-backs, and Manuel Akanji will partner Aymeric Laporte at the heart of the defense.
Rodri will start as the defensive midfielder, with Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne adding creativity and composure from the middle of the park. Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are expected to start in the front three as the inverted playmakers.
The duo will look to add creativity and width to the side. So Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish will be backup options on the bench. Finally, Erling Haaland will look to continue his impressive goalscoring form when he leads the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Silva, Haaland, Foden
Everton
Everton will be without the services of James Garner, Andros Townsend and Mason Holgate due to their respective fitness issues. Frank Lampard’s side are expected to start in a 4-3-3 formation as well, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko will line up as the full-backs, and Conor Coady will form the central defensive partnership alongside James Tarkowski.
Idrissa Gueye will be the defensive midfielder for Everton, and he will look to anchor the midfield. He is expected to be partnered by the likes of Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi in a midfield three.
Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray will start as the wide players in a front three, and they will look to add pace and flair during counter-attacks. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to lead the line for the Toffees.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Onana, Gueye; Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Gray
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won 34 of their last 43 matches in the Premier League.
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Manchester City have won their last ten matches against Everton in all competitions. In addition, the Citizens have kept a clean sheet in their last four outings against Everton in all competitions.
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Everton have lost their last three matches in the Premier League.
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Manchester City have scored at least two goals in their last four home matches against Everton in all competitions.
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Everton have conceded at least two goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
25 – Erling Haaland has scored 25 goals in 20 appearances under Pep Guardiola; this is the quickest that any player has reached 25 goals under Guardiola with top-flight clubs:
20 – Erling Haaland
28 – Lionel Messi
30 – Samuel Eto'o
35 – Sergio Agüero
41 – Thierry HenryGreats. pic.twitter.com/zXaNazJbmE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 28, 2022
Everton have been mediocre at the back this season, and they have conceded 19 goals in 16 league games so far. They will be up against one of the best strikers in world football, who is in red-hot form.
Erling Haaland has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, and he will be looking to continue his scoring run against the Toffees as well. He has already broken the record to be the fastest to score 20 Premier League goals. And the Norwegian forward is our man to watch against Everton’s vulnerable backline.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-0 Everton
Manchester City are in fine form, and they should be able to extend their impressive record against Everton with another win over them. The home side are far superior in terms of quality, and they will be desperate to win here. They cannot afford to fall further behind in the title race.
As for Everton, they can be a competitive side on their day but are lacking in quality and confidence right now. They are likely to crash to yet another league defeat tomorrow. The Hard Tackle predicts Manchester City to cruise to a 3-0 win over Everton.
