Manchester City are looking for a Christmas present when they host Everton in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
The reigning Premier League champions are in miserable form and suffered another disappointing defeat against Aston Villa last time out. Pep Guardiola's side were out-and-out in the Midlands and have now won just once in their last 12 outings in all competitions.
The defeat at Villa Park has seen them drop to seventh in the table Premier League table, behind the likes of Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. If they don't turn their fortunes around soon, they will face a challenging scrap for the top four.
A home match against Everton it might seem straightforward for the Cityzens, but Sean Dyche's stubborn Toffees have picked up points against Arsenal and Chelsea in their last two games. Goalless draws against the London giants have moved them four points clear of the drop zone.
Here it is 90 minutes guide to a crucial match for Man City on Boxing Day.
Man City vs Everton H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Man City |
Everton |
|---|---|
|
Aston Villa 2-1 Man City – 21/12/24 |
Everton 0-0 Chelsea – 22/12/24 |
|
Man City 1-2 Man Utd – 15/12/24 |
Arsenal 0-0 Everton – 14/12/24 |
|
Juventus 2-0 Man City – 11/12/24 |
Everton 4-0 Wolves – 04/12/24 |
|
Crystal Palace 2-2 Man City – 07/12/24 |
Man Utd 4-0 Everton – 01/12/24 |
|
Man City 3-0 Nottingham Forest – 04/12/24 |
Everton 0-0 Brentford – 23/11/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live streaming |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Amazon Prime |
|
United States |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada |
Injuries have plagued Man City throughout the current season and they are missing several key first-team players for Thursday's meeting with Everton. Rodri and Oscar Bobb are long-term absentees, while Ruben Dias will miss out with a muscle injury. won't see him back until mid-January.
Ederson missed the weekend defeat to Villa with a foot injury and Stefan Ortega could be called up again on Thursday. Matheus Nunes was also unavailable at Villa Park with a knock but should feature in the matchday squad against the Toffees.
John Stones was withdrawn at half-time against Villa as he continues to struggle with a foot injury. He is a major doubt to feature at the Etihad on Boxing Day.
Man City predicted formation against Everton (3-2-4-1): nettle; Walker, Akanji, Ake; Lewis, Kovacic; Savinho, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku; The Netherlands.
Everton have been without their main creator for the last two games against Arsenal and Chelsea, with Dwight McNeil unlikely to feature at the Etihad due to a knee injury. He joins James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam in the treatment room.
Ashley Young will miss Thursday's game after picking up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season against Chelsea. His veteran Seamus Coleman will replace him at right-back.
On-loan striker Armando Broja is once again available from the bench after being ineligible to face his parent club at the weekend.
Everton predicted formation against Man City (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Gueye, Mangala, Ndiaye; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin.
Man City's problems have been compounded by some dire performances and results in recent weeks, with both their attack and defense suffering from a lack of confidence. They have struggled to break down their opposition and have looked very open in transition when handing over possession.
Everton have proven their ability to get results against the division's big hitters in recent games and Thursday's post-Christmas clash is unlikely to be a thriller. It will be a game of fine margins, but Man City's power could fade a tight tie against a stubborn and well-organised defence.