Everton v Man City betting tips: Leaders looking for perfect 10 against Toffees
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Everton v Man City betting tips and odds
Manchester City head to Merseyside on Saturday with Liverpool breathing down their necks in what is now turning into a fascinating title race.
The champions were surprisingly beaten at home by Tottenham last weekend but they start as 2/7 favourites to get back to winning ways at Everton, who are 11/1 underdogs.
The Toffees have a miserable recent record against the Premier League leaders, so let’s take a look at some of the issues and odds to help with our Everton v Man City betting tips.
Everton v Man City form
City’s failure to sign England captain Harry Kane during the summer transfer window came back to haunt them as the Tottenham striker scored twice in a 3-2 win at the Etihad last Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s men thought they had earned a point thanks to Riyad Mahrez’s stoppage-time penalty only for Kane to head in Dejan Kulusevski’s perfect cross a few minutes later to secure a memorable victory which ended City’s 15-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Kane also had a goal ruled out for offside and after the game Guardiola said: “It was never an option. Everyone knows we were interested but it was not an option. Forget it, it’s in the past. It’s not necessary to show the goals he scored to show his quality on the ball, all the UK knows it.”
The @etihad Player of the Month for January; @DeBruyneKev!! 🔥💙#ManCity pic.twitter.com/qUNbxy5Fg2
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 22, 2022
City had won 14 of their 15 previous games and four days earlier had smashed Portuguese champions Sporting 5-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Unsurprisingly, City have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League (15 from 26 games) and are 21/20 to win to nil at Goodison Park.
Everton’s impressive win against Leeds, on the other hand, is now a distant memory after a 2-0 defeat at Southampton pushed them further into a relegation battle.
Wins for Watford and Burnley mean the Blues are just four points clear of the bottom three and manager Frank Lampard accepts Everton are in a fight for survival.
"It’s about belief – and the players need to feel that. There will be times you’re up against it and, as a group, we need to feel belief."
– Frank Lampard 💪🔵
— Everton (@Everton) February 22, 2022
He said: “I think it’s really clear isn’t it? The position we’re in in the table is clear, it’s not something we have to debate.
“When we have been great we have backed ourselves but the minute games turn against us there can be a mentality issue for the players.”
Manchester City to win either half, score at least twice in the match and keep a clean sheet is priced at 13/8, although Tottenham’s exploits in Manchester will have given hope to the hosts who are 15/8 to lose and score.
Everton v Man City head to head
The Toffees’ confidence will hardly be sky high having lost the last nine encounters with City in all competitions, eight of which came in the Premier League.
City have won the last four by at least two goals, including a 3-0 win at the Etihad in November, so we go 3/1 on the visitors winning by a two-goal margin while winning by two or more is available at 4/5.
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— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 21, 2022
However, City have won this Premier League fixture 3-1 in the last two seasons and can be backed at 10/1 to win by that scoreline for a third successive time in our Everton v Man City betting tips.
Four of the last six meetings have been level at the break before City stepped up in the second half, so Draw HT/Man City FT is 14/5 while the champions are 33/20 to win both halves as they did in the last two contests.
Key Battles
Lampard is trying to implement changes to the way Everton play, deploying a high press as they did against Leeds, but accepts things won’t change overnight following a disappointing display at St Mary’s.
He said: “We’ve addressed a lot in terms of the way we want to play but there’s still things you can’t change instantly.
“It was really eye-opening in the second half of where we are and where we want to get to. It felt like reverting to type a little bit after we conceded and I want to change that. So, there’s lots to learn for us.”
Lampard kept faith with the same team that had dispatched Leeds so easily for the trip to Southampton but they ran out of steam in the second half, so it remains to be seen whether the Chelsea legend will stick with the same starting XI for the third successive game bearing in mind they lost the ball 73 times.
🗣 | "We weren't good enough today."
An honest #SOUEVE appraisal from the boss: pic.twitter.com/Ws9ShYpqri
— Everton (@Everton) February 19, 2022
Donny van de Beek has started both games in the heart of midfield alongside Allan but fellow new signing Dele Alli has come on for the last 15 minutes in the last two matches and has yet to start since joining the club.
Everton have won both of their home games under Lampard but the pressing game he wants to implement could prove exhausting against a City team that are masters at getting out of tight spaces and retaining possession.
City will once again go with a flexible 4-3-3 system at Goodison Park.
Everton v Man City team news
Jack Grealish is unlikely to have recovered from a shin injury and Gabriel Jesus remains doubtful with a muscle problem, so Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Mahrez are expected to form a three-pronged attack, with Rodri flanked by Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in midfield.
However, Ilkay Gundogan had an excellent game against Spurs, scoring the equaliser, hitting the post and drawing a superb save from Hugo Lloris, so he could retain his place in midfield.
Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were below par at the back, so John Stones is in the frame.
Everton are without Abdoulaye Doucoure, Demarai Gray, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Fabian Delph but Vitaliy Mykolenko was an unused sub at the weekend and is pressing for a return.
Goalscorer Odds
City players dominate the first goalscorer market, with Mahrez leading the betting at 10/3 to break the deadlock and 21/20 to find the net.
Sterling scored the opener three months ago and is 7/2 to repeat the trick or 23/20 in the anytime market while De Bruyne is 4/1 and 7/5 in the two options.
The Belgian schemer opened the scoring in last season’s 5-0 win against Everton at the Etihad and was on target in City’s last visit to Goodison Park, a 2-0 FA Cup victory 13 months ago.
Silva has netted in two of his last three starts against the Toffees and is 12/5 to do so again or 7/1 to get the ball rolling in our Everton v Man City betting tips.
Match Info
Where: Goodison Park
When: 17:30, Saturday 26th February
How to watch: Sky Sports
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
