Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City travel to Goodison Park on Saturday night knowing that victory over Everton will give the Blues an opportunity to clinch the Premier League title against Manchester United.
With that in mind, City are the obvious play this weekend; the champions-elect will want to secure the crown against their fierce rivals.
Predicting the first game back after an international break is never easy but all of the omens point towards an away win here. Pep’s men are on the road to greatness and this is another step in the right direction.
As with most City matches these days, there isn’t much value in backing the Blues at 7/20 but there are a few tasty markets available with 888sport.
Fancying a dominant away win? You can back City to score three or more goals at 7/5 and plenty of punters will fancy the Blues at that price.
However, I’m expecting Guardiola’s men to produce a controlled effort rather than a ruthless one. City will still be effective in attack but the 13/10 for a win to nil is much more appealing for me.
For any optimistic Everton fans, a repeat of last season’s incredible 4-0 victory against City is currently priced at 300/1.
Allardyce’s side have struggled for goals since the former England manager took over at Goodison Park and the Toffees will need to be at their brilliant best to get past this stubborn City defensive unit. This one could be very comfortable indeed…
With so much riding on next week’s clash with United, City may cruise through this clash in second gear. However, they cannot afford to take Everton lightly – the Toffees snatched a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season and could spring a surprise.
The hosts are appealing at 47/20 in the double chance market; plenty of Toffees will be getting on that. Everton do tend to save their best performances for the big games and City will be wary of an onslaught.
Pep is meticulous in his preparation and the Spaniard will be expecting the Toffees to make a fast start. Slowing the game down in the early stages is vital for City; getting through that first 15 minutes unscathed could make the world of difference.
Morgan Schneiderlin is one to consider in the card betting markets. The former Manchester United midfielder is prone to picking up the odd yellow card here and there – 3/1 is a decent price for the Frenchman to receive a card this weekend.
City will be looking to counter on a regular basis and he may be tasked with breaking up their relentless attacks.
Could Everton surprise us? Yes. Will they? Only time will tell. For me, City should have too much for their opponents this weekend and the Toffees may struggle to stop Guardiola’s offensive juggernaut.
As per usual, the visitors will dominate possession and another win beckons ahead of that pivotal Manchester Derby…
TIP: Manchester City to win to nil @ 13/10
CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Everton 0-2 Manchester City (6/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
