Good morning! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for today's early Premier League kickoff as
Manchester City host Everton at the Etihad Stadium!
City come into this match for once not leading the way in the table after their unbeaten start was ended last weekend, and Everton are about as close to a bogey team as they have had in recent years, so this one should be an interesting encounter.
We will have a look at both teams a little later, but first let's check out the team news...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Delph; Bernardo, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Mahrez, Jesus, Sane
MAN CITY SUBS: Muric, Stones, Sterling, Agüero, De Bruyne, Zinchenko, Foden
EVERTON STARTING XI: Pickford; Keane, Zouma, Mina; Coleman, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Digne; Bernard, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
EVERTON SUBS: Stekelenburg, Baines, Schneiderlin, Davies, Walcott, Tosun, Lookman
What can we make of those two sides, then?
Well, we'll start with the hosts, who once again make an interesting selection as their injury concerns continue to mount. Arguably the most interesting part of it is actually the bench, though, with both Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne included amongst the subs.
De Bruyne has barely featured at all this season due to two separate knee injuries, while Aguero has missed the last four games with a groin problem. Guardiola is clearly wary about rushing either back during such a busy period.
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As if the bench was not strong enough with Aguero and De Bruyne on it,
Raheem Sterling is also among the subs despite having scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in his last 21 Premier League appearances at the Etihad.
Riyad Mahrez comes into the team instead of the in-form winger, while Leroy Sane continues on the opposite flank with Gabriel Jesus through the middle. Jesus was left out in favour of having no recognised striker against Chelsea last weekend, but did start against Hoffenheim in midweek.
John Stones was forced off at half time of that Champions League contest and only makes the bench today, with Kyle Walker coming into the side at right-back.
Otamendi and Laporte continue at the heart of the defence having also both started in midweek, but Fabian Delph replaces Zinchenko on the left as Guardiola makes four changes overall from Wednesday's win.
Fernandinho is able to return after missing out against Hoffenheim, with Bernardo and gundogan making up the midfield trio in the absence of the injured David Silva.
The changes made once again highlight the strength in depth of this Man City side, but they have also been hit hard by injuries so the returns of some key players to the matchday squad for this one will be a timely boost.
Everton's team selection is also interesting, with
Marco Silva seemingly deploying a 3-4-3 formation today - although in practice that could be more of a 5-3-2 system.
Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina all start at centre-back, which means that Seamus Coleman - who scored an own goal last time out - and Lucas Digne - who rescued the day with a late equaliser - will act as the wing-backs.
There is plenty of creativity in the middle of the park as the impressive Andre Gomes starts alongside Gylfi Sigurdsson, the latter of whom will be looking to put his penalty miss on Monday behind him.
One player missing from that midfield is Idrissa Gueye, though, as he has failed to recover from the injury which forced him off during that draw with Watford earlier this week.
Gueye's absence is one of two changes made by
Marco Silva from Monday's match as Zouma replaces him in the side, and the other sees Theo Walcott drop out to be replaced by
Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
It looks as though Calvert-Lewin will lead the line this afternoon, which will mean that Richarlison is forced into a wider position. The Brazilian is more than comfortable with that, but he has been Everton's focal point in attack for much of the season so far.
Indeed, Richarlison has scored eight Premier League goals for Everton this season, and those have won the Toffees nine points - the joint-highest return of any individual player in the division alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Glenn Murray.
Sigurdsson has also stepped up on the goal front this term - with the exception of that penalty on Monday - but Everton could do with one or two others helping to share the burden with Richarlison.
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The Toffees do have players capable of hurting the home side today, then, but this City team is not one which gets knocked off their stride by a poor result and
Pep Guardiola will be demanding a response from his side today.
City did return to winning ways in midweek by coming from behind to beat Hoffenheim in the Champions League, but now they must respond on the domestic front after their first major slip-up of the Premier League season.
In truth, City utterly dominated the first half of their defeat to Chelsea and were very unfortunate to go into the break a goal down courtesy of Kante's opener, but in the second half Chelsea were more than a match for the champions.
It seemed as though their opening goal had given them the belief that they can take the game to City and do not have to be afraid of Guardiola's men, and that is a lesson many other teams may have learned from that game too. It poses an interesting new test to this City side, who had swept pretty much all in front of them before that.
The defeat, coupled with Liverpool's win over Bournemouth, means that City now sit in the unfamiliar position of second place in the Premier League table, although a victory or a draw would restore them to top spot - at least until Liverpool host Manchester United tomorrow.
One thing is for sure - we are set for a much more exciting title chase than we had last season. City had the title all-but wrapped up already at this stage of 2017-18, sitting 11 points clear, whereas this time there are five teams within seven points of them.
One loss to Chelsea certainly doesn't make this City side a spent force, though, and they will be eager to remind people that they are still by far the league's highest scorers and have still only lost one of their last 22 top-flight outings.
Indeed, looking even further back City have lost just three of their last 62 Premier League games, and it is two years since they lost back-to-back matches in the top flight.
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All criticism of City has to be kept in context as they are one of the best teams this country has ever seen, but they have been playing a fraction below their usual ludicrously high standards for a few weeks now.
Guardiola's side needed to come from behind twice to rescue a draw against Lyon in the Champions League before producing a rather laboured performance against Bournemouth - albeit en route to a 3-1 win. A late scare followed against Watford before their Chelsea defeat and coming from behind against Hoffenheim.
There is nothing below par about their home form, though, with City having won each of their last eight outings at the Etihad Stadium stretching back to September, scoring 29 goals in the process.
Indeed, all season City have won 11 of their 12 home outings, including all eight in the Premier League to extend their impressive run to just one defeat in their last 39 home top-flight matches.
Perhaps an even more impressive record is their consistency against teams outside the 'big six', and it is that more than anything that made them such convincing title winners last season.
It is 51 league games since City fell to a defeat against a team outside the current top six - a run that has seen them win 44 games, amass 139 points from the 153 on offer and stretches back to January 2017, when they suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of today's opponents, incidentally.
The likelihood of a repeat result this afternoon is very slim, although Everton have enjoyed a decent campaign so far and certainly will not come into this match in damage limitation mode from the off.
The Toffees have produced some decent performances against the teams above them in the table so far this season, which has helped them record their best points tally at this stage of a season since 2013-14.
Everton are five points and three places better off than at the same stage of last season and could leapfrog Manchester United into sixth place today, should they pull off a surprise win here.
On the flip side, though, a defeat could see Everton end the weekend in the bottom half of the table depending on results elsewhere, with little separating those teams in the middle section of the standings at the moment.
Everton remain in pole position to be regarded as the best of the rest behind the 'big six', but their form has taken a hit in recent weeks with just one win from their last five Premier League outings.
The Toffees come into this match winless in three as well, having suffered a galling late derby defeat to Liverpool at Anfield before only managing draws against Newcastle United and an out-of-form Watford side. Struggling Cardiff are the only team Everton have beaten in their last five games.
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However, Everton fans could also flip that around and point to the fact that they have only lost two of their last 10 Premier League games, with those defeats coming in difficult away games to Liverpool and Manchester United.
Marco Silva will know that too many points have been dropped in draws in recent weeks, but the most recent of those will have felt like a win courtesy of Lucas Digne's last-gasp free kick against Watford on Monday night.
Everton will also know that they could have won that game against Watford, though, with Sigurdsson missing a penalty and the Toffees having squandered the initial lead given to them by Richarlison at Goodison Park.
Watford did ultimately deserve something out of the contest, but Everton will be bemoaning some bad luck having seen Coleman score a poor own goal in addition to the penalty miss.
It is Everton's away form which is the biggest obstacle to them breaking into the top six at the moment, with the Toffees having picked up just one win on the road so far this season, and taking only 14 points from 17 away games over the past 12 months.
Indeed, the problem stretches back further than that too; Everton have won only six of their last 43 Premier League away games since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, and this term only five teams have amassed fewer points on the road.
However, it should be noted that Everton have already faced Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and today Manchester City in away league games this season, so it has been a very difficult start for them on the road.
The Toffees are winless in their last 32 away league games against teams that finished in the top six last season, a run which includes 22 defeats and stretches back five years.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Etihad Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Everton are not likely to make this easy for Man City, but it is hard to back against Guardiola's side at home - even off the back of their first league defeat of the campaign. We're going for City to extend their 100% home start to the season.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Man City 3-1 Everton
I mentioned that Everton have been almost a bogey team for Man City recently, and that is because the champions have won only 25% of their Premier League games against the Toffees under
Pep Guardiola.
Only against Liverpool (20%) do they have a lower win percentage of teams they have faced at least three times since Guardiola took charge, while they have also conceded seven goals against Everton in the Spaniard's reign - more than against any other team.
Four of those came in one match at Goodison Park in January 2017, although that is Everton's only Premier League win over City in their last 10 attempts.
The past seven league and cup meetings between these two sides have been evenly matched at two wins apiece and three draws, although City won the most recent contest 3-1 at Goodison Park in March, scoring all of their goals in the opening 37 minutes.
Everton are unbeaten in their last three visits to the Etihad Stadium, all of which have been drawn, but they have not won here since December 2010 - a run of seven trips without victory.
Last season's corresponding fixture ended 1-1, with Sterling rescuing a point for City in what was the only game they failed to win in the opening months of the season. Wayne Rooney had given Everton the lead.
Right, the players are on their way out and we're just about ready to get started here! A reminder of the team news before we do get going...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Delph; Bernardo, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Mahrez, Jesus, Sane
EVERTON STARTING XI: Pickford; Keane, Zouma, Mina; Coleman, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Digne; Bernard, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Manchester City get us underway at the Etihad Stadium!
It looks as though Everton have forced the first save of the match as Sigurdsson slips a pass through to Calvert-Lewin, whose low strike towards the bottom corner is smartly turned wide by Ederson. However, the linesman's flag is raised against the Everton striker.
Everton, as expected, have started with three at the back, and they are holding their own in the opening exchanges here. Still a long way to go, of course, but Everton are stepping up and not just inviting City on to them at the moment.
Good chance for City to break as Gundogan releases Sane down the left flank, and the German is up against Gomes. Sane tries to cut inside, but Gomes does enough to prevent the danger.
City are seeing the majority of the ball at the moment, but Everton are giving it a go whenever they get a chance. It is a fine balance to strike against a City side of this quality, but they are not showing the hosts too much respect, which is something a few teams have been guilty of this season.
Jesus turns away from Keane inside the box and is almost in on goal, but Zouma does really well to get back in and make a challenge.
A diagonal ball into the box almost finds Bernardo, but the City midfielder is unable to bring it down. The hosts' pressure is beginning to grow, though.
Better from Everton in the last few minutes as they keep the ball for a decent length of time which much of it coming in the Man City half too.
CHANCE! Big chance for Everton to take the lead here! Walker is caught in possession inside his own box by Digne, who then stands the ball up to the back post. Richarlison is unmarked at the back post and goes for the volleyed finish, blasting it over the crossbar when he should have done better.
SAVE! The first shot of the game is swiftly followed by a second as Delph tries his luck from range, but it is an easy one for Pickford to collect.
From that save Pickford releases Bernard forward, but he has a lack of support and when the ball is eventually put into the box it is just too high for Coleman at the back post.
YELLOW CARD! Digne is the first name in the book for a scything challenge on Mahrez on the right edge of the area. No complaints with that one!
SHOT! The free kick is played short and then blasted against Bernard from Mahrez, with the ball falling invitingly for Delph. The City man gets plenty of power behind his effort, but it is always rising and flashes over the crossbar.
SAVE! Brilliant save from Pickford to keep the scores level here! Come slick passing from City results in Bernardo standing a cross into the box which Jesus tries to get on the end of. It is Keane who gets his toe to it, though, poking it towards his own goal and forcing Pickford into a brilliant stop to claw it away. That is a super stop.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 EVERTON (GABRIEL JESUS)
GOAL! Nothing Pickford can do this time! Everton try to play out from the back and Mina gives the ball away with an aimless pass into the midfield. He is then slow to step up and plays Jesus onside as two quick passes send the Brazilian through on goal.
Sane provides the killer pass, and Jesus is there to slide it beyond Pickford at the near post for his first Premier League goal in four months.
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Everton had held their own in the opening quarter of this match, but they have shot themselves in the foot there. Mina in particular was the man culpable for that opening goal.
City have won all 13 matches in which they have scored the first goal in the Premier League this season, so even at 1-0 it looks like a long way back for Everton now.
Here is that opener from Jesus for your viewing pleasure...
Crucial interception from Zouma as Delph floats a cross into the box towards Sane, who is denied by the stretched leg of the Everton defender.
CHANCE! Another chance for City, who look to be in complete control of this one now. Laporte gets goalside of Keane and beats the Everton defender in the air to a cross from the left, but Keane does just about enough to prevent him from getting it on target.
Bernard has looked sharp for Everton today and he darts forward again here, only to be fouled by a group of City defenders around him. Digne's resulting deep free kick is cleared out for a throw.
Everton break down the right channel from the resulting throw and Richarlison fires a cross into the box which Ederson has to punch away.
Just 10 minutes remaining in the first half now and it is City who are in control at the moment. Everton are putting up a decent fight, as expected, but they are struggling to get anything going in attack now.
Marco Silva will want his side to just get into half time with no further damage here. They are not giving up a string of chances, but all of their effort at the moment is being focused on simply keeping City at bay.
Absolute dominance for City in this list - and two of their players have not even made the starting lineup today!
CHANCE! It should be 2-0 to City here, but Pickford is there to keep Mahrez at bay! The ball from he left drops kindly for Mahrez in the middle, and he really should do better with the half-volley on his left foot. He makes it relatively easy for Pickford, who reacts to make another good save.
City think that they have added a second for a split-second as he blasts the ball beyond Pickford, but the linesman's flag is correctly raised.
City could, and should, be further ahead here, but they have rarely moved out of second gear. Everton are still in the game, but we know that City are also of capable of stepping it up, while they also have a few game-changers on the bench if required.
There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 EVERTON
The first half comes to an end, then, and it is City who go into the break with the lead.
The hosts have dominated possession and created the majority of the chances, but Everton are still very much in the contest and will have been buoyed by many of the things they did in that first half.
The only goal of the game so far arrived midway through the first half, when Gabriel Jesus ended his Premier League drought with a smart finish after latching on to Sane's through-ball.
It was a goal Everton could well have avoided, though, with Mina giving the ball away when trying to play out from the back and then playing Jesus onside when he couldn't get back in time quickly enough.
City could and should have doubled their advantage later in the half when the ball dropped kindly for Riyad Mahrez, but he put his finish too close to Pickford from inside the area.
Laporte and Delph have also threatened, while Pickford has been forced into one really good reaction stop to deny Keane from turning the ball into his own net.
Everton have had chances of their own, though, with the best of those falling to Richarlison early on.
Digne's lofted ball to the back post found the Brazilian coming in unmarked, but he went for the volley when he perhaps would have been better going for a diving header and blasted his finish over the crossbar.
KICKOFF: Everton get us back underway for the second half at the Etihad Stadium! No changes for either side.
Man City have only conceded four second-half goals in the Premier League this season, which is the lowest tally in the division. Everton have some serious work to do to get themselves back into this one.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 EVERTON (GABRIEL JESUS)
GOAL! The drought is well and truly over now! Jesus doubles his side's lead and his personal tally with a bullet header past a helpless Pickford.
Sane is again the provider, clipping a cross into the middle for the Brazilian, who gets in between two defenders and then produces a really good headed finish.
Is there any way back for Everton now? Even from 1-0 down it looked like a big ask for them, but to come from two behind away to Man City would be a huge achievement.
The joy around the Etihad could be short-lived, though - Laporte is down with a head injury and the medics are quickly rushed on. It looks like a painful one for the defender, but hopefully it is nothing serious.
It looks as though Laporte will be fine to continue having shaken that clattering from Sigurdsson off.
EVERTON SUBS: Changes for Everton here as Theo Walcott and Ademola Lookman replace Coleman and Bernard.
That Everton change has seen Zouma move to right-back and Everton switch to four at the back.
CHANCE! Good play from Gundogan as he comes forward with the ball and then exchanges passes with Jesus on his way into the area. The German is on the stretch when going for the shot, though, and can only put it wide of the near post.
As though things were not tough enough for Everton already, Raheem Sterling is readying himself to come on here.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 EVERTON (DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN)
GOAL! Now then! It is game on at the Etihad as Everton pull a goal back with 25 minutes remaining!
Lookman exchanges passes with Richarlison in the buildup before the ball drops to Digne, who hangs a cross up into the middle. Calvert-Lewin finds himself up against Delph in the air and plants his header firmly into the bottom corner past a helpless Ederson.
MAN CITY SUB: That goal does not change Guardiola's plans for the change - on comes Raheem Sterling for Leroy Sane.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 EVERTON (RAHEEM STERLING)
GOAL! Well, that didn't take long! Sterling makes an immediate impact to restore City's lead with a third goal from close range!
Fernandinho exchanges passes with Jesus on his way to the byline and then stands a cross up into the middle, where Sterling is waiting unmarked to nod home.
CHANCE! Everton have the chance to respond immediately as Lookman tees up Richarlison on the edge of the box, but he blazes his finish over the crossbar when he had to at least get it on target.
Having already brought on Sterling and seen him have an immediate impact, City are now readying Kevin De Bruyne. No let-up for Everton!
CHANCE! Another chance for Everton here as the spritely Lookman darts down the left flank before playing a low ball into the box which Walcott puts over the crossbar from close range.
MAN CITY SUB: Here is that return for Kevin De Bruyne, who replaces Sterling for the final 15 minutes.
YELLOW CARD! Delph and Calvert-Lewin both go into the book following a flare-up between the pair.
That Delph challenge which sparked the angry reaction from Calvert-Lewin was actually very naughty from the City man. He won the ball and then left something on Calvert-Lewin halfway up his shin - a very dangerous tackle.
SHOT! Lookman has been really bright since coming on and he works space for himself to shoot here, only to then curl his finish well off target.
EVERTON SUB: Another change for the visitors here as Tom Davies replaces Sigurdsson.
CHANCE! Audacious from Calvert-Lewin as he produces a Zola-esque mid-air flick from Walcott's cross, but in doing so he takes some of the pace off the ball and Ederson is able to collect. An outrageous piece of skill, though.
Just five minutes remaining in this match now and it looks as though it will be another win for City, who will be heading back to the top of the Premier League table at least until Liverpool face Manchester United tomorrow.
SHOT! Richarlison carries the ball forward and tries to bend his finish into the corner from just outside the area, but Otamendi makes an important block to send it behind for a corner.
Mina throws himself to the ground in an attempt to win a penalty from the resulting corner and Ederson goes to pick him up, which angers the Everton defender. He puts his head into Ederson, but the Man City keeper does him a favour by not making a big deal about it.
There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 EVERTON
Manchester City see out the victory to move back to the summit of the Premier League table, then, now sitting two points clear of Liverpool at least until tomorrow.
Gabriel Jesus ended his Premier League drought with two goals to put City in command, but Calvert-Lewin's goal back did make things interesting. That was only very brief, though, as Raheem Sterling produced a quick response to effectively wrap up the points for the champions.
Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Manchester City move back to the top of the Premier League table with victory over Everton. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too!
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
