Manchester City suffered a setback at the hands of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham at home and would be desperate to get back to winning ways in Saturday’s weekend clash against the blue half of Merseyside.
For Everton, who boast one of the best Premier League defensive records this season, they would be geared up to inflict another disappointment upon the runaway leaders.
Pep Guardiola’s squad stays at the top with 18 points and just a solitary defeat. They are four points ahead of Everton.
Ronald Koeman’s side are in need of their first win in three competitive games and Saturday’s clash might be a good opportunity for them to showcase their Champions League qualification credentials.
The key reason why Everton would fancy their chances would be due to the probable absence of City’s talisman Sergio Aguero, who even missed the World Cup qualifying matches for Argentina with a calf injury.
Aguero, who has already missed some games on account of suspensions and injury, would inevitably be sorely missed. Bacary Sanga would also miss Saturday’s clash.
Everton would welcome the return of veteran defender Leighton Baines, who had been unavailable with a hamstring injury. Romelu Lukaku and Phil Jagielka have recovered from thigh problems and Darron Gibson is deemed fit.
Lukaku has been in red-hot form this season scoring half of Everton’s goals in the first seven games. Nevertheless he has failed to score in the last two encounters against relatively lower Norwich and AFC Bournemouth.
Toffees need to avoid complacency if they are to get a point in tomorrow’s game. They have still conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League and would be looking to keep that tally intact against the high-flying likes of Kevin De Bruyn and Vincent Kompany.
For Guardiola and his men they have already been handed a reality check and they must not underestimate Koeman’s troops.
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
Yeah I don't think Oviedo is up to it. Funes Mori concerns me, I think he gets caught in the wrong position a lot of the time. I thought Lennon finished last season off pretty well so would like him to get a bit more game time. I thought this would be the real breakout season for Barkley but not to be at this stage.
Eden
Guest
Heh thanks - I'm not sure that it was a very hard press though. Seemed a more traditional compact defensive set up and long ball to target man strategy. Apart from Jags' sloppy challenges for the penalties I was very impressed with the defensive core limiting City to outside chances and blocked crosses. The goal from them was too perfect to defend really. City - both on the ball and off the ball - are awesome to watch Everton are almost the reverse of last year - defensively resolute but with gaps in attack. Barkley and Deulofeu have gone cold on assisting Rom. I'd give Mirallas the central attacking role next week and have Bolasie and Lennon on each flank. And fingers crossed Baines is back as Oviedo just isn't a defender in my mind, gets twisted and turned regularly. I'd play Funes Mori or Holgate before Oviedo
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
Called that one pretty well!
Eden
Guest
Press hard, press smart, get lucky, then park the bus and grind it out!