Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
If Everton needed a reminder of the sheer extent of the challenge that awaits them in this match, then Manchester City’s astonishing, ruthless 8-0 victory over Watford was just that. It was a cold dose of reality for any team who thought better of their chances following the defending champions’ shock loss to Norwich.
It does, to be fair, show that City are mere mortals, and no one should write this game off as a sure thing. But considering that ended 18 games of dominance and the follow up, they remain an incredibly intimidating and devastating side to go up against.
There is, of course, always a chance for Everton. But a middling season thus far – compounded by the fact that they come into this game following a duo of disappointments against Everton and Bournemouth – means that right now, they look unlikely to topple the mighty Manchester City.
Everton vs Manchester City Prediction: Everton 0-4 Man City
We’ve made it pretty clear that we think Manchester City are very likely walking away with the win here. The question, we suppose, is to what extent? Well, the bad news for Everton is that their defence has been a weak point against opponents less capable than City. And we think their offence – while having plenty of bright spots – will struggle to get past such a well-rounded team. With that in mind, and considering the utter dominance City displayed in their last Premier League outing, we are going to go with a decisive 4-0 victory for City.
Our recommended tip: Sergio Agüero scores first
Considering our scoreline prediction, we think picking a first goalscorer is the best route for our recommended tip. The tricky thing when it comes to choosing first goalscorers for Manchester City is that they have so much talent that several always immediately spring to mind. Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, for instance, are always excellent options. However, one player has been more consistently devastating on the attack than his teammates by a slim margin in our eyes and that is the always magnificent Sergio Agüero. You can get medium-risk 3/1 odds from BoyleSports on this wager.
Previous matches
The head-to-head history between Everton and Manchester City pretty much reinforces exactly what we thought in our predictions. That’s the fact that Everton have a chance here, but it is a rather slim one. These two regularly face off in the Premier League and the Toffees have been statistically far less likely to win since late 2013. For instance, City won the last three games in the fixture, drew the fourth but lost the fifth. Before that, there was a four-game gap before another Everton victory and another five game gap following that. Every so often, Everton’s luck comes in, but will it be this time?
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Richarlison & Kevin De Bruyne
Everton: Richarlison
The fact is that the Toffees’ season thus far has been mired by inconsistency. However, one player who has been creating chances with regularity is Richarlison. He is exactly the kind of talent they need – alongside the rest of their forwards – to fire back against a determined Manchester City. We saw exactly what he can do against Wolves, and a similar performance here would massively increase his side’s chances of upsetting the odds.
Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne
Many might assume that we would have gone with the more prolific of Manchester City’s goalscorers, especially as we picked Sergio Agüero to score first. However, Kevin De Bruyne has proven himself as not only a quality goalscorer in his own right but also as astonishingly devastating on the assist. This is alongside his terrific passing and crossing accuracy. City’s playmaker could be the key to victory here.
