Everton will look to bounce back from two consecutive defeats when they host Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Everton are coming into the game against Manchester City on the back of defeats against Fulham (in the EFL Cup) and Tottenham Hotspur. The Toffees were in impressive form prior to that and will look to bounce back strongly.
Everton are 16th in the league table, and they will look to pull clear of the relegation zone with a series of impressive results now. Meanwhile, Manchester City are fifth in the standings, with just one win from the last six league matches.
Pep Guardiola’s men have been quite vulnerable this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can grind out an away win here. Manchester City are coming into the game against Everton on the back of four wins and a draw from their last five matches across all competitions. They will be expected to pick up all three points away from home.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
The home team will be without the services of Idrissa Gueye because of a knock. Abdoulaye Doucoure is set to miss out with a thigh injury. Everton will shape up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to contribute to the attack and protect the central defenders. James Tarkowski will start alongside Jarrad Branthwaite at the heart of the defence. In the wide areas, Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will look to add creativity and pace.
Andre Gomes will start in central midfield alongside James Garner and Amadou Onana. Onana will look to break up the opposition attacks and protect the defensive unit. Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Everton against Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Pickford; Patterson, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Onana; Harrison, Garner, Gomes, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
Manchester City
The defending champions do not have any major injury concerns heading into this game. Manchester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton, with Enderson Moraes in goal.
Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs here and the two players will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. John Stones will start in central defence alongside Ruben Dias.
Rodri will start in the midfield with Mateo Kovacic. While the Croatian international will look to add control and composure in the middle of the park, Rodri will look to break up the opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side.
Bernardo Silva will likely feature as the central attacking midfielder here, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish in the wide areas. Erling Haaland is returning from his injury, and he is likely to be on the bench along with Kevin De Bruyne. Julian Alvarez should lead the line for Manchester City against Everton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Rodri; Foden, Silva, Grealish; Alvarez
Key Stats
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Everton have picked up four wins from their last five Premier League matches.
- Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Manchester City have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven away matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Manchester City have won 11 of their last 12 matches against Everton in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
The Argentine international is impressive form right now, and he is likely to step up for the visitors once again. He managed to score an impressive brace in the FIFA Club World Cup final and will look to build on that performance here.
Alvarez is likely to cause problems for the Everton defence with his movement, link-up play, and sharpness in front of goal. The 23-year-old has ten goals to his name across all competitions, and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Everton 1-2 Manchester City
The Premier League champions are the better team on paper, and they will be expected to pick up all three points. Despite their inconsistencies in the Premier League recently, they have enough quality to grind out all three points.
The treble winners have a formidable record against Everton, and they should be able to extend that. The likes of Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and De Bruyne are likely to be on the bench, and they could have a defining impact on the game as substitutes. An away win is on the cards.
