Manchester City are finally back in Premier League action tonight, and it’s Everton who are the opponents.
After winning the Club World Cup, attention has now turned back to domestic football and City are in a bit of a tricky spot.
Pep Guardiola‘s side find themselves in fifth place in the table and are currently eight points off leaders Liverpool, but do have two games in hand on the Reds.
The hope for City fans is that the triumph over Fluminense to win the Club World Cup – the club’s fifth trophy of 2023 – has provided the squad with a bit of a lift, and a renewed desire to get things back on track.
Everton used to give City trouble, but in recent times our record against the Toffees has been very good. You have to go back to January 2017 for the last Everton win, with City winning 11 of the last 13 meetings since and the other two being draws.
But Everton are fighting hard to pull away from the relegation zone and tonight they will be fighting hard. Here is a team Guardiola could field…
Predicted Manchester City XI vs Everton – Manuel Akanji and Mateo Kovacic come in for starts
Ederson is bound to start against Everton tonight, despite featuring in the two Club World Cup matches last week.
You would imagine that Ruben Dias and captain Kyle Walker will start, and it would be good to see Nathan Ake play on the left, over Josko Gvardiol. The reliable Dutchman has arguably been City’s best defender this term.
£15 million signing Manuel Akanji may be preferred to John Stones as the hybrid defender/midfielder, since he is the fresher of the two following the two CWC games.
Rodri had a knee injury scare against Fluminense but it seems he will be fine to play tonight, much to the relief of City fans. He is the most important player in the team, and you get the feeling Pep Guardiola would play him even if he wasn’t 100%.
Mateo Kovacic may also get the nod tonight, with Phil Foden to operate as a central attacking midfielder.
Foden has started to get more opportunities in the middle lately, and he definitely looks very effective there. His assist for Jack Grealish against Crystal Palace and his goal against Fluminense both came from central positions.
City’s attacking line will be interesting tonight. We know that both Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku are back in training, but perhaps neither will be risked from the start.
The last thing City need is to be having players aggravate injuries – especially players with the output of Haaland and Doku.
So Julian Alvarez could continue up top, following his two goals against Fluminense. The Argentine may have support to his left and right from Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva.
City need to win tonight. It’s just one win in six in the Premier League, and Guardiola will be desperate for a response from his players.
Should this be the team, then it would be two changes from the Club World Cup final (John Stones and Rico Lewis out, Manuel Akanji and Mateo Kovacic in).
Man City (4-2-3-1): Ederson/Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake/Rodri, Kovacic/Bernardo, Foden, Grealish/Alvarez.
