Match Preview
Amadou Onana returned to full training this week and is expected to be in contention for a place in the side after missing the last two games with a knee injury
Everton could have Amadou Onana back in the side for this weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium to face reigning champions and treble winners, Manchester City.
The Belgian missed the goalless draw at Fulham and last Saturday’s 2-2 with Tottenham with fluid on his knee from a knock he picked up in the cup tie against Luton but has returned to first team training and is likely to be in contention for a place in the team.
Abdoulaye Doucouré is also “back on the grass”, in Sean Dyche’s favoured, parlance but while the manager reported that the Frenchman is making good progress, Saturday’s game will come too soon for him.
A more likely target for Doucouré will be the more important home clash with struggling Crystal Palace under the lights at Goodison Park on 19 February.
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Arnaut Danjuma and André Gomes are ruled out, but both Séamus Coleman and Ashley Young continue to build their fitness and both could start this weekend.
City, for their part, are close to full strength, with Erling Haaland, and Kevin de Bruyne back in the lineup while Phil Foden is in ominous form, having scored a hat-trick at Brentford on Monday night.
That win brought Pep Guardiola’s team to within two points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, so, with the bit very much between their teeth, City are unlikely to take their foot off the pedal to any degree against the Toffees.
Given the Manchester side’s dominance of domestic English football for match of the past decade, it is no surprise that Everton have not won on this ground in that time.
Indeed, you have to go back to December 2010 for the last time Everton came away from this part of Manchester with all three points but they did gut out a draw in this fixture last season, courtesy of a worldie from Damarai Gray, and Dyche will no doubt set his team out to defend stoutly just as Frank Lampard did that New Year’s Eve fixture at the end of 2022.
Then it’s just a case of hoping to carve something out on the break or from set-pieces in the hope of becoming one of the few sides to upset the Guardiola machine on their own turf.
Dyche, himself, will, of course, not be taking up his customary place in the manager’s technical area having picked up a one-game touchline ban for picking up his third booking of the season.
He called for more understanding from the referees when it comes to coaches contesting decisions from the sidelines.
“I think there should be a bit more tolerance,” Dyche said. “The fourth official is there and if deep down they are thinking the referee might have that one wrong, I don’t see why you are booked for it.
“That’s the moment when they should use a bit of their game understanding and say ‘OK, he maybe got that one wrong but we need you to stay in the technical area’.
“I think that can be a calming down moment.”
Kick-off: 12:30pm, Saturday 10 February, 2024
Referee: John Brooks
VAR: Michael Oliver
Last Time: Manchester City 1 – 1 Everton
Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Young, McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin
Reader Comments (18)
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Tom Cannon
2 Posted
08/02/2024 at
18:47:45
In the “unlikely” event that we fall behind by more than two goals, we will be awarded the softest penalty ever – proving to everyone’s satisfaction (especially the Premier League hierarchy) that it is just a matter of luck that we are one of only 3 teams in Europe’s top leagues not to have been awarded a penalty this season.
If we don’t fall behind sufficiently to justify this award, should this situation arise at Anfield, my crystal ball suggests this miracle of a soft penalty will occur, proving once again how fair and honest the Premier League is …
Colin Glassar
3 Posted
08/02/2024 at
18:52:35
I’d rest half of the team and call in Paul McKenna to sort out the other half, psychologically, after the game.
John Keating
4 Posted
08/02/2024 at
18:55:19
If any players are in any way doubtful for the game due to injury or recovering from injury, better give them the extra 9-day break to be fully recovered for a far more winnable game at home to Crystal Palace.
John Pendleton
5 Posted
08/02/2024 at
19:00:16
Then again, Man City do play sexy football.
Each to their own, I suppose.
Danny O’Neill
6 Posted
08/02/2024 at
20:53:19
I remember driving down the Brenner Pass in northern Italy in 2017 and receiving numerous text messages that we had beaten City 4-0.
Anything is possible in football.
Billy Bradshaw
7 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:03:13
Texting while driving, naughty naughty.
Danny O’Neill
8 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:08:50
Anything goes!
Dave Lynch
9 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:14:18
Man City are light years ahead of us and after a dodgy run by their standards have started to find that irresistible touch again.
Haaland is back and looking keen as well… sorry but I have no faith. 😔
Derek Knox
10 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:17:08
Nurse, Nurse!
Dave Abrahams
11 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:30:43
Same as last season at their ground, logic got kicked up their backside when Gray smashed in an equaliser and we came home with a point.
Newcastle held out until the final minute when VAR took over and City got the points just a couple of weeks ago and they battered Brentford the other night but overcame a few frights before Foden took over the game.
It’s right to think logically but even logic comes unstuck now and again.
Roger Helm
12 Posted
08/02/2024 at
21:37:06
We’ll probably have 20 per cent possession, but as they say, it’s a funny old game – with a bit of luck, and an off day by City, who knows?
Paul Birmingham
14 Posted
08/02/2024 at
22:06:40
They seem more balanced with De Bruyne playing and for me to stop him spraying his killer passes showing him no time and space. Easier said than done, with their off-the-ball movement.
But they’ve got Foden, who is a very good natural footballer and Haaland. So block and stop their runs. But Everton must take their chances. Calvert-Lewin to get back scoring and anything can happen.
Godfrey got Haaland rattled last season and hopefully he plays as well again on Saturday.
Every day is massive off and on the park for Everton. Hopefully to build on from the Spurs game.
Praying for some good news regards the appeal but to upset the odds would be fitting against a club who it would seem has diplomatic immunity from 2009 to the present in terms of breaching financial rules and not being punished, by the Premier League.
I heard on the radio today about blue cards for sin bin offences being scoped for use in football.
Get the referees to get the basics and the VAR right before adding more chaos to the game.
UTFTs!
Mike Doyle
15 Posted
08/02/2024 at
22:59:15
Hoping we put up a valiant defence but, whatever the result, we will get to see our boys compete against De Breune, Foden & Bernardo Silva – 3 exceptional players.
Colin Metcalfe
16 Posted
08/02/2024 at
23:12:42
Lets not beat around the bush we are going to get smashed, we are simply not on there level as blood sweat and tears can only get you so far and City have so many class players however we do have many winnable games especially at home over the next few months I am quite confident we will be clear of the bottom three by some distance come April.
Si Cooper
17 Posted
08/02/2024 at
23:52:54
Actually the sort of game the players can kind of look forward to in a weird way. Stay calm and stay competitive and the players could get something from the game even if we dont ultimately win.
I think generally we have enough mobility at the back to not be shredded endlessly as long as the players are focussed for the full game.
Our midfield options will make a fair bit of difference if our best players deliver on their potential. They simply have to be really difficult to play through and not waste any opportunity to capitalise on turnover ball.
Andy Crooks
18 Posted
09/02/2024 at
00:34:50
We’re not going to get smashed and if I believed we were I wouldn’t be posting my prediction on here. I can see the reason why some do, though. It’s like preparing for disaster in the hope of being ready when it happens and maybe being wrong.
When I check the latest score on match day I prepare for being three down at half time. Then 1-2 seems a bonus. This week I see the worst out come as an unlucky defeat. Which is actually harder to cope with than getting smashed.
This is what Everton do to you!
Bill Gienapp
19 Posted
09/02/2024 at
00:57:16
Expectations not high, but we somehow managed to pinch a draw on their ground last season while Lampard was in his death spiral, so you never know.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
Liam Heffernan
1 Posted
08/02/2024 at
18:35:03
I’ll watch this and hope for the best but prepare for the worst (with a box of Kleenex). COYB