Previewing the Manchester City v Everton Match

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 01: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

As we approach the busy Christmas period in the Premier League, Manchester City find their games beginning to come thick and fast.

This is the part of the season described as meaty by Pep Guardiola. There are few moments of recovery time, players train little as games are so frequent. Colder weather sets in and pitches become harder and slower. Brazilian players start to train in snoods and wear gloves indoors.

Conspiring to effect Guardiola’s Manchester City team is a crippling injury list which is preventing key players from being rested. Players subject to late fitness tests means decisions about match tactics can often be delayed too. So amidst this combination, winners just have to grind out their results. This is where balls going over the line and into the goal off someone’s backside are welcomed.

This is not the weather for us to pass nonchalantly across our own goal line. This is all about long hoofing the ball and running through the mud to chase. Or rather it is for every other club. For Pep Guardiola we will largely ignore the conditions and instead we will pursue our own path. Ederson will be making hair raising passes even if he is stood in 3 foot deep mud.

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The news which is hot off the press is that both Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne have trained this week without discomfort so may well make a return to the squad tomorrow. I think it unlikely either player will start but at least it will give the commentators some sauce to work with like the most expensively assembled bench of substitutes.

We go again on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, which is a game where we may well see our second string deployed. With that in mind I expect Guardiola will start his strongest available team against Everton – but that decision about players returning from injury may not be made until tomorrow morning.

Everton to all intents and purposes were awful in their last game, but as we have said before – form counts for nothing. They have a squad of players capable of hurting us and we will need to be at our best to come away with a comfortable victory. Their recent record at the Etihad has been pretty good. Two frustrating draws in a row. Lukaku caught us on the break one year following a defensive mistake and last year Dominic Calvert Lewin cheated by claiming Kyle Walker has smacked him. That was a lie but Walker was dismissed and we had an uphill battle against us.

I am hoping for some revenge over that injustice tomorrow.

dark. Next. Three Things We Learnt From Victory Over Hoffenheim

Man City Square Predicted XI 4-3-3

Goalkeeper

Ederson

Defence

Walker, Stones, Laporte, Delph

Midfield

Fernandinho, Bernardo, Foden

Attack

Sterling, Jesus, Mahrez

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