6/10 draw 31/10 9/2
Roberto Martinez will be hoping to steer the Everton ship with a steady hand past an enormous iceberg as the Toffees travel to Merseyside to take on Manuel Pellegrini’s free-scoring Manchester City this weekend. The Citizens managed the double over Everton last season, winning 3-1 at home and 3-2 away but in past seasons the Toffees have enjoyed more success, winning nine times and drawing once in the last 14 meetings. Please note that this article was written prior to these teams playing their midweek matches.
Manchester City put three goals past Southampton to move into second place on the Premier League table last weekend, a display that reminded viewers all around especially Chelsea that the title race is far from over. The Sky Blues closed the gap to just six points as Jose Mourinho’s side failed to find the net for the first time this season with the stubborn Black Cats holding them to a goalless draw. City were looking like their old selves, oozing class as they dominated the Saints in their own home ground despite going a man down with Eliaquim Mangala sent off after 74 minutes following a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge. It has taken City some time to find their groove and although they’re yet to find their best form, Pellegrini’s men are on the right track. In the ‘midst’ of a bad season the Sky Blues have won the city derby against Manchester United. Chelsea have so far been this year’s team to beat and even they haven’t beaten City (drawing 1-1 at the Etihad), so it’s not all that bad surely. City will be full of confidence and looking to make it three consecutive victories in the league on Saturday when they host an Everton side in discomfort. David Silva is set to hand Pellegrini a boost as the Spaniard is expected to make a return to the starting line-up after overcoming a knee injury sustained in City’s Capital One Cup defeat to Newcastle in October. The biggest concern for City fans will be whether Vincent Kompany will be available for the clash after suffering a hamstring injury last weekend. Kompany is City’s rock at the heart of their defence, and while the depth behind him is solid, none of the available options can offer the same blend of experience, leadership, vision and raw athleticism. Sergio Aguero didn’t score last weekend but that didn’t matter as the Argentine was in scintillating form once again, building on his excellent showing against Bayern Munich with another brilliant performance. He created or had a hand in all of the goals, should have had a penalty and tormented Southampton’s back line throughout. Aguero has scored 14 goals in his last 12 appearances for Manchester City in all competitions, a stat that Martinez will feel uneasy about.
Everton went down 2-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane last weekend and have struggled to replicate last season’s form that saw them clinch 5th place in the league. The Toffees have recorded just four victories thus far and suffered four defeats in 13 matches played. They are currently in 10th position in the league standings and 10 points off their opponents. Martinez’s men are yet to find any sustained fluency. Wins against Lille and Wolfsburg in the Europa League were undoubtedly the best moments of November and raised expectations for the rest of the month. In the Premier League, however, the performances that have punctuated those wins have been less impressive. Defeat at Tottenham and draws with Sunderland and Swansea were all games the Toffees should have done better in, while the win over West Ham United wasn’t exactly a convincing showing either. After several games of fluctuating influence, Romelu Lukaku’s form has steadied, slightly. He was very poor against Sunderland, but his all-round game improved in every other match last month. Against Lille, he was excellent, mainly due to a more consistent first touch and some much better link-up play. His goals against Wolfsburg and West Ham also marked some much-improved consistency from the Toffees’ record purchase. Kevin Mirallas is the man capable of causing City problems this weekend. The Belgian was excellent against Wolfsburg, scoring and laying off an assist in a hugely impressive win for the club. He also registered a stunning strike against Spurs, though he struggled to impose himself much after the goal.
Prediction: Manchester City
Manchester City are favourites at 6/10 while Everton are priced up at 9/2. If City didn’t impress you with their display against Southampton last weekend then you probably didn’t watch the match. The Sky Blues showed their class from start to finish and will look to inflict more misery on Martinez’s men. City’s pace, drive and their trademark confidence have seemed to return, especially after scoring two more goals after going down to 10 men away. Look out, they’re back. Everton have no chance. Back the champions to reign victorious. City are a banker bet to win the match but taking them to win half-time/full-time will get you more value at 13/10. Get on.
Written By Chadley Nagel
