Everton v MAN CITY – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
9 Jan
After sitting out the past two matches, Joe Hart will return in goal in place of Willy Caballero. Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis and Gael Clichy are all expected to step back in to the side following the FA Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday, with Vincent Kompany a possibility in defence after recovering from injury. Whether he is thrown in from the start remains to be seen, but if the captain does feature then Eliaquim Mangala could be at risk.
Yaya Touré has now departed for the African Cup of Nations, meaning that the two Brazilians, Fernando and Fernandinho, will form the central midfield pairing, with Jesus Navas, David Silva and Samir Nasri ahead of them. Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko have both been named in the squad, but may not be selected from the start. That leaves Stevan Jovetic and James Milner battling for a striking berth.
Here is the side Manuel Pellegrini could select:
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Prediction: Everton 2 – 2 MAN CITY – Everton’s form this season has been poor by their standards and there is growing pressure on Roberto Martinez, but they always seem to raise their intensity levels against City and I’m far from convinced this will be the routine victory many seem to be forecasting. I’m edging towards goals from Samir Nasri, David Silva, Steven Naismith and Samuel Eto’o.
I would have staked my mortgage the author would have predicted this as either a draw or an Everton win.
The authors’ have wrongly, all season, gone against City all season, and I think they’ve called it wrong again. City will not have any trouble against Everton. Everton, in comparison with last season, are a different team. Their awful at the back: they’ve conceded the second highest amount of goals this season, and they’re playing a club who has scored the most away goals
Plus Augero, and Kompany is back
I’m renaming this web-site to ‘a view from a rag’
Come on city
You were saying?
A draw it is then
Well done you and your boyfriend was correct (sort of).
However, we should have put the game to bed in the first half
I’ think your smugness at City’s failure suggests that you probably could be a rag
Illuminating comment from ‘Blue’ above, maybe a rag in poor disguise?
Vfab is one of the best city bloggers about and gives a balanced view (the guest posts aren’t always great but nowt’s perfect).
I suspect a draw too
C’mon you blues!