Prediction: Manchester City vs Everton

Verdict: Total goals over 3.5

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: bet365

Manchester City are set to welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium on the first day of 2020, in a game that will be a part of the 21st round of this season’s Premier League campaign.

Manchester City

Describing a season in which a team is still on course to securing Champions League football for the following one, as well as in contention to win the elite competition as well as both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, as a disaster, seems extremely harsh; but such are the standards set by Pep Guardiola and his team in England after winning back-to-back league titles. Sitting in third place, 14 points behind league leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand on them, is certainly not where they imagined they would be at the turn of the year.

Injuries haven’t been kind on their players, with Leroy Sane missing the entire season so far and Aymeric Laporte joining him on the list of long-term absentees very quickly, as well as several minor problems with other members of the team. Guardiola has been forced to reshuffle his forces; midfielder Fernandinho, for example, has so far done a very good job as a centre-back.

But there is definitely something missing this term when it comes to the defending champions. Their reputation for ripping ‘lesser’ teams to shreds, well-deserved in the previous campaigns, hasn’t exactly been justified this time around. They will have been shaken with their second defeat of the season to Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, but they managed to bounce back against Sheffield United at the weekend.

Team News

Guardiola is likely to continue with Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho in the heart of defence, as John Stones still falls into the category of major doubt. Having returned from injury, Oleksandr Zinchenko stepped into the team against the Blades and replaced Benjamin Mendy, whose rookie mistake turned very costly against the Wolves. We’ll see if he’s ready to play again so soon. Midfielder David Silva is also out. Goalkeeper Ederson Moraes served a one-match ban last time out due to the red card he picked up in the Wolves game and is available.

Guardiola has mostly been playing Riyad Mahrez on the right wing lately, and the Algerian has been on great form, but it remains to be seen if he opts to give him a rest, with Phil Foden perhaps the man to step in, either directly or into midfield, which would mean pushing Bernardo Silva out wide.

Everton

The season seemed long and wearying for the Toffees before even half of it had passed under Marco Silva. There have been fresh sparks in the team during the short time assistant manager Duncan Ferguson spent in charge as interim boss, but they look a much more serious team since Carlo Ancelotti took over.

Not many people believed Everton would be a destination attractive enough for the experienced Italian, and it is certainly a great coup for them to have done it. Top players will always want to play under Ancelotti, which in turn means that players already present will have to step up their game to avoid getting axed in the near future.

Everton sit in 10th place with 25 points at the moment, but the fact that they were in the relegation zone not too long ago is a good indicator of the progress they’ve made recently.

Team News

Ancelotti is currently without the services of midfielders Andre Gomes, Morgan Schneiderlin and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. Gomes is out with a dislocated ankle he suffered from a tackle which resulted in Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Hueng-min getting sent off, but Schneiderlin and Gbamin might be back soon. Forward Alex Iwobi is also out, suffering from a thigh injury.

Conclusion

On first glance, City look like clear favourites to win this, but it feels much more difficult to call than it looks. Everton’s recent rise shouldn’t be dismissed so easily, and the game should be much tighter than it would have been with, for example, City closer to the top in terms of points and Everton still under the command of Marco Silva. But be that as it may, there should be plenty of goals.

Verdict: Total goals over 3.5

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: bet365