What to Watch For: Manchester City Host Everton in Top-Five EPL Clash

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Gareth Barry of Everton controls the ball during the Capital One Cup Semi Final, second leg match between Manchester City and Everton at the Etihad Stadium on January 27, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Following two weeks off from EPL play due to World Cup Qualifiers, Manchester City are back in action on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium against fifth-placed Everton F.C.

After tough matches versus Celtic and Tottenham respectively, Manchester City are looking to get back to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League. Pep Guardiola‘s side remain in first place in the league standings, while Ronald Koeman‘s Everton sit four points back in fifth. After a strong start to the campaign, Everton headed into the international break in subpar form after a 1-1 draw vs Crystal Palace on September 30th.

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Everton look rejuvenated under Koeman who did wonders with Southampton a year ago. Koeman and Guardiola were teammates at Barcelona in the early 1990’s, and the Everton boss credits Manchester City’s strong start this season according to Sky Sports. “They’re very good, maybe not last week against Spurs, but impressive in the way they play.”

Manchester City will definitely look to earn all three points on Saturday at home, especially with another Champions League match coming next week. Bacary Sagna and Raheem Sterling join Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne on the injured list which will cause for some changes in the Manchester City starting 11 on Saturday. Players like David Silva, Nolito, and Alex Kolarov are all coming into Saturday’s match in good form after a strong showing with their national teams.

Everton have a lot of firepower at their disposal on Saturday that Manchester City need to be ready for. Romelu Lukaku has netted five goals so far this campaign and is always a threat for any team. His is also a Belgian international and is Everton’s main weapon offensively. Yannick Bolasie and Gerard Deulofeu are explosive wingers that bring a lot of talent and skill to the table as well.

With Manchester City looking for a huge win on Saturday, here are my three things to watch for at the Etihad.

1.) Look for MCFC to try to own the game.
Against Celtic and Tottenham before the international break, Manchester City looked to have pressured constantly which led to a draw and a loss. For Everton to be successful on Saturday they will need to do the same exact thing. Pep Guardiola needs to be aware of this and will need his players to own possession and show their superiority on Saturday. Players like Silva, Fernandinho, Nolito, and Sergio Aguero will need to make the most of their chances for the team to be successful.

2.) MCFC’s wing-backs need to be ready to run!
With Sagna’s injury, Guardiola has Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, and Aleksandar Kolarov as his three healthy and experienced wingbacks. Bolasie and Deulofeu enjoy taking defenders on and bring skill and pace to the table. The experience of Zabaleta, Clichy, and Kolarov should be able to take care of them but age is definitely a factor between the wingbacks and the wingers. MCFC’s centerback pairing will be expected to help out when needed in order to keep Everton’s dangerous duo from providing service to Lukaku up front.

3.) Look for Ilkay Gundogan to help David Silva run the show.
With the loss of KDB, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan are two clasys midfielders that can help pick up the slack. Both are international players that will be key to the team’s success. Silva had a strong international break with Spain, while Gundogan was eased back into playing with Germany. I feel Gundogan will need to play up higher to help Manchester City create a good amount of chances against a surprising Everton side.

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My prediction for Saturday is a 2-0 victory for MCFC with Nolito and Aguero each netting a goal. I feel this is a must win for City especially with a UCL trip to Barcelona next Wednesday.