MY ACCOUNT
– Manchester City have won their previous 10 games against Everton, the last four without conceding
– Everton have failed to score in five of their last seven league games
– Recommended Bet: Man City to win to zero
Manchester City will look to maintain the pressure on leaders Arsenal when they host Everton in their final game of 2022.
City returned to winning ways in the Premier League by seeing off Leeds in a rip-roaring 3-1 victory at Elland Road on Wednesday.
A goal just before half-time from Rodri and two Erling Haaland strikes after the interval ensured Pep Guardiola’s men moved back within five points of the table-topping Gunners.
In stark contrast, Everton were left to count the cost of their own wastefulness on Boxing Day when Wolves completed a late smash-and-grab for all three points at Goodison Park.
Christmas cheer was in short supply as jeers and whistles greeted the final whistle following a result that dropped the Toffees to 17th place in the table and piled more pressure on boss Frank Lampard.
Team news
Guardiola will have the same group of players on duty that he had at Elland Road after revealing that Julian Alvarez will not return to the City squad until “after New Year’s Eve”.
The attacker was granted extra time away from the club following Argentina’s success at the World Cup.
Ruben Dias remains under treatment for a hamstring injury he sustained in Qatar, but Kalvin Phillips could add to his solitary minute of Premier League action for City after improving his fitness levels.
Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo are pushing for recalls, although the impressive display of Rico Lewis, the youngest Englishman to start a Premier League game for the club since Micah Richards, could see the teenager given another chance at left-back.
Lampard urged Everton fans to “stick with the players” after Monday’s home defeat, so it would seem unlikely that he will be making wholesale changes in reaction to the 2-1 reverse.
Conor Coady is available to return after missing out against his parent club on Boxing Day, but Lampard now has a surfeit of fit centre-backs again after the returns from injury of Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate.
Coady is likely to be restored to the line-up alongside James Tarkowski, with Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko filling out the full-back slots.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to be closely monitored following a knee injury, while Andros Townsend (ACL) and James Garner (back) are unlikely to be fit until well into the new year.
The stats
City have won 23 of their 30 festive fixtures since the 2012-13 season, averaging 2.40 points per match in games played between December 26 and January 4.
Guardiola’s team recorded an Expected Goals (xG) figure of 4.2 at Elland Road on Wednesday, the highest of any side in the Premier League this season.
Haaland became the fastest to reach 20 goals in the Premier League with his brace against Leeds ensuring he reached that milestone in just 14 appearances, seven fewer than the next quickest, Kevin Phillips for Sunderland in 1999-2000.
By winning his 150th game in his 197th Premier League appearance on Wednesday, Ederson became the quickest player to reach that milestone in the competition, 16 games faster than former Man Utd defender Patrice Evra (213).
Everton have lost each of their last three Premier League games to opponents that started the day of the match in the bottom four, with Leicester (18th), Bournemouth (17th) and Wolves (20th) all getting the better of them.
Prediction
City lost their last league game at the Etihad when Brentford broke to score a stoppage-time winner, but lightning will probably not strike twice on Saturday.
The Citizens have come out on top in each of the previous ten league and cup meetings with the blue half of Merseyside, winning the last four without conceding.
Everton’s goal power has been severely affected by the injury woes of Calvert-Lewin, who provides a focal point for others to play off.
His continued absence threatens to drop them deeper into trouble, and a defeat without scoring looks highly probable in this fixture, where they will need to make the most of any possession they can muster.
The Toffees have failed to score in five of their last seven league games, four of which ended in defeat and look unlikely to stop City from winning to zero, which is available to back at 4/7 with LiveScore Bet.
