Guardiola expecting difficult game against the Toffees
Everton vs Manchester City
Competition: F.A. Premier League
Date: 2.00pm, Sunday 14th May 2023
Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool
Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: G Beswick, A Nunn Fourth Official: G Scott VAR: C Pawson
Odds: Everton 8/1, Draw 4/1, Man City 1/3
Tickets: Sold out
TV: Sky Sports
Everton
Manager: Sean Dyche
Squad (from): Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan, Tarkowski, Patterson, Holgate, Keane, Mina, Mykolenko, Coady, Onana, Townsend, Doucoure, Davies, Gueye, Garner, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Gray, Iwobi, Maupay, Simms
Injured: Coleman, Vinagre, Alli, Godfrey
Doubtful: Townsend
Suspended: None
Form guide: WDLDL
Manchester City
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Squad (from): Ederson, Ortega, Carson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Ake, Laporte, Akanji, Gomez, Lewis, Phillips, Gundogan, Grealish, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Perrone, Foden, Palmer, Haaland, Alvarez, Mahrez
Injured: None
Doubtful: Ake
Suspended: None
Form guide: WWWWD
Nathan Ake will be assessed in training ahead of the trip to Goodison Park to face a resurgent Everton. Ake missed the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid with a hamstring problem, but could to the squad as City hone in on the Premier League title.
Everton have endured a difficult season, but an unexpected 5-1 victory against Brighton on Monday lifted them out of the bottom three, and manager Pep Guardiola is expecting a difficult game against Sean Dyche's side.
“Goodison Park during my six seasons here always has been so difficult,” said Guardiola at Friday's press conference.
“For the environment and now for the momentum (they have). Sean Dyche is a good trainer of his team.
“It is also (difficult) because it’s between Champions League games, but my thoughts are just on Everton, no more than that. so we have to just focus on this game
“We are 11 months working for Premier League, I don’t want to be distracted by the Real Madrid game.
“We don’t have much time, because we play Sunday. Thank you so much. It’s a real, real priority the game at Goodison Park.
“They have the history and quality of the team. Brighton is one of the toughest places to go.
“The result was a real impact not just in table, but in Everton’s mood. It’s a big result. Everyone we saw, we thought that every team will play for something special, and it will be tough.
“Everything can happen. Everton score the first goal in the first minute at Brighton and get an incredible result.
“Defensive structure and physicality they have at Everton is really good. Everything can happen in a football game.
“At the same time we know exactly what we are playing for. We will analyse what we have to do to beat them.”
City won their last game against at Goodison 1-0, with a late goal from Phil Foden securing the three points. Overall City have won 78 of the 194 games played against the Toffees, with 48 draws and 68 defeats.
Predicted line-up: Ederson, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Laporte, Rodri, Bernardo, Alvarez, Mahrez, Foden, Haaland
Score prediction: Everton 1 City 2