Everton v MAN CITY: The PREVIEW – City’s Probable Team
30 Jan
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After the disappointment of losing to Liverpool on aggregate in the Carling Cup, it’s back to the rigours of the Premier League and a test of our character with a tough trip to Merseyside to face Everton. Three points clear at the top of the table, this visit to Goodison Park, a ground where we don’t have the greatest record in recent times, will pose a difficult challenge.
Only two City victories in the past fourteen meetings away from home are testament to how many problems Everton have caused us and it’s always a fixture that demands the Blues to be at our best. We have shown a more resilient streak this season and having defeated the Toffees 2-0 at The Etihad Stadium earlier in the campaign, it can only be hoped that we show the same determination, self-belief and winning mentality.
With regards to team selection, Roberto Mancini will be delighted to be able to recall Vincent Kompany, who has now completed his four-game suspension. Our inspirational capatin will replace Stefan Savic at the heart of the defence and will partner a former Toffee, Joleon Lescott. I’d expect Micah Richards and Gael Clichy to be named as fullbacks, provided the manager reverts back to a defensive quartet having experimented, with little success, with 3-5-2 against Liverpool.
After his goal and improved performance in the Carling Cup, Nigel De Jong is pushing for a starting berth alongside Gareth Barry, with James Milner possibly deployed further forward. David Silva was man-marked by Jack Rodwell last time we faced Everton and kicked throughout the game, but he was still good enough to have a major impact. Samir Nasri could drop to the bench if Mancini opts for a more sturdy midfield though Edin Dzeko’s recent form has been poor and he could find himself sitting this one out.
Here is the side Mancini could select:
Everton are struggling with a number of injuries, most notably in defence where they are missing Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin. That duo are normally outstanding against City so their absence will be a huge blow. In midfield, the trio of Seamus Coleman, Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell are all out, but they have brought in Darron Gibson from Manchester United and Tim Cahill has finally rediscovered his scoring touch. Looking further up the pitch, Louis Saha has not scored a Premier League goal for 942 minutes, which suggests he’s bound to score a hat-trick against City!
Referee: Peter Walton – This will be the third time in five games he has officiated between City and Everton, and we’ve lost both the previous two. He’s the one referee City fans seem to hate seeing and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a controversial sending off tomorrow. Our record for the past eleven games he’s officiated the Blues reads: played 11, won 1, drawn 4, lost 6.
Prediction: Everton 1 – 2 MAN CITY – I’m never normally confident before we face Everton but I think their injuries, combined with our extra resilience and winning mentality, mean we may just shade this one. Goals to be scored by Tim Cahill, Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.
With those injuries mentioned above, City would only lose, if and only if it were a very very very off and bad City day.
Mancini should go for the kill from the beginning. Though I share with you those “butterflies-in-stomach” feelings when we faceh Everton, but this Everton is way off what they were last season. Mind you, they should not be taken lightly at all.
Manchester city will fight tight to overcome their reputation as well…
I think so.
From a toffee:
Saha wont start, Dennis the Menace Straqualursi will and he’ll be a handful for your defenders. If Drenthe plays he will also be a handful.
Result 1-1 ( Cahill and Silva)
oh, and weexpect Moyesto be his usual negative self and play 4-5-1, so prpare fo a boring game
its a different man city then last season i i think de jong should get a chance after hes excellent performance against liverfoolish.come on C1TY.score 1-3.Aguero & nasri
HART
RICHARD, KOMPANY, LESCOTT. CLICHY
DE JONG . BARRY
SILVA
MILNER, AGUERO, NASRI
SCORE: “”"”"”"”"”1-3””’”"”"”"”"
So no width and no big fella to work the 2nd choice CH’s?
Edin hasn’t been at his best but he still made telling contributions and whenever he and Ballo are missing I fancy we do too much Arsening about, trying to walk it in. The Toffee’s will park a bus as per usual and we need to agressively seek the opening goal IMO and offer two striking options. Say what you like about Nazza and Silva,but they are no strikers. De Jong has earned a run in the side, Milner is hard to leave out, he has consistently performed, so maybe Nazza has to make way for Edin.
Great article. Couldn’t be write much better!