Everton v Manchester City: Preview, Odds, Predictions (May 14)
Initial Thoughts
Everton and Manchester City are two of only three sides to have beaten Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Premier League this season. And after a stunning performance against high-flying Brighton last week, can the Toffees create more drama at the top and bottom of the table on Sunday?
The Narrative
N-O-B-O-D-Y saw Everton picking up all three points at the Amex Stadium last weekend, let alone by a whopping 5-1 scoreline.
The Toffees were lining up against a Brighton team unbeaten in their last five matches at home, and who’d won their last two by an aggregate scoreline of seven goals to nil.
But Sean Dyche’s men produced a master class of counter attacking football to pick up a first league win in eight games.
The result lifted the Toffees out of the drop zone into 17th place, and with three matches left to play Everton will finally feel they’re in control of their own Premier League destiny.
Having closed the gap on Arsenal and leapfrogged into 1st place, Manchester City will also feel the title is now their’s to lose.
Pep Guardiola’s side have a knack of hitting form at the right time, and City come into this matchup having taken the maximum thirty points on offer from their last ten Premier League outings.
The Sky Blues are now one point ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand, and Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park looks on paper to be their least taxing fixture of the run-in.
After facing the Toffees this weekend, Pep Guardiola’s side will take on Chelsea, Brighton and Brentford in their remaining Premiership fixtures.
But could Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final clash against Real Madrid see Manchester City drop the ball against a resurgent Everton on Sunday?
Nuts and Bolts
Since Sean Dyche took over at the end of January, three of the four victories the Englishman has overseen have come at Goodison Park. Those three home wins came against Arsenal, Leeds and Brentford with each by a 1-0 scoreline.
The Toffees have suffered defeats in both of their last home fixtures, losing 4-1 to Newcastle and 3-1 to Fulham. But Dyche’s men arrive in this matchup unbeaten in their last two matches and high on belief after the rout of Brighton last weekend.
The points were shared when these sides last met on New Year’s Eve, in a 1-1 draw that featured goals from Erling Haaland and Demarai Gray.
City have won their last four away games on the bounce, but the last time Pep’s sides dropped points in the league it was against relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest.
Could Everton pick up where they left off last week and frustrate City’s title ambitions while strengthening their own Premier League lifeline?
Homestand Picks
All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets
They beat Arsenal at home earlier in the season and they just played their best 90 mins of the campaign. Call us crazy but this matchup might just deviate from the script.
Both sides received three bookings last time out so expect a spicy one, in a game with that has HUGE ramifications for both sides.
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