Premier League: Manchester City vs. Everton Preview, Odds, Prediction

Manchester City and Everton meet in their final game of the 2022 year, at the Etihad Stadium. The champions are coming into this event in an excellent mood, while on the other side, Everton isn’t in a pleasant place. Many expect to see a one-sided domination here, with Haaland wrecking Everton’s defense. However, the English Premier League isn’t that simple and predictable, and Everton for sure has its plans for these 90+ minutes.

Preview

Manchester City (-600) beat Leeds United on Wednesday night, 1-3, having minor problems finding the rhythm in the opening 45 minutes. Though, as soon as Haaland, De Bruyne, and the rest clicked and found their frequency, everything was over for the hosts.

The Norwegian continued pushing the limits and scoring at an incredible pace, delivering a brace at Elland Road. The World Cup pause didn’t slow him down, as he already has three goals after the restart, scoring against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup as well.

Man City is pretty impressive at home this year, having one loss and seven wins at the Etihad, with a goal difference of 30 scored and nine conceded. That sole loss was against Brentford in the very last game before the World Cup.

Everton (+900) took the lead against the Wolves, but after that, lost control of the game and eventually suffered a defeat. But that’s not the worst part, because the Toffees suffered a dagger in the very last minutes of the event.

They didn’t win in five consecutive events, counting in the one in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth. In the past four, Lampard’s unit would allow at least two goals, and undoubtedly, the defense has been the biggest problem of the team from Goodison Park this season.

Away from home, the results are terrible, with 10 played and only two wins. Lately, things have gotten worse, as Everton lost four of the previous five road trips, having just one draw during that span. That’s why Lampard’s position isn’t safe anymore.

Latest News

Ruben Dias is out due to a thigh injury, while Mendy isn’t on the team due to a suspension for a while. Phillips is expected to be in the protocol but probably won’t play.

Garner and Townsend are both out, while Calvert-Lewin might appear, but he will be a game-time decision.

Head to Head

Manchester City has 10 consecutive victories over Everton at the moment. In three games played last year, two in the EPL and one in FA Cup, the Citizens scored ten goals and allowed one. The single game played at the Etihad ended with the champs winning 5-0.

Prediction

City is accelerating, and that’s a fact. This is their part of the year once they start pounding hard and rolling over the rivals, and with all due respect, we don’t see an option for the Toffees to stay unbeaten here. Haaland is in fantastic shape and isn’t intending to slow down, while Everton has massive problems on the defensive side. That’s why we bet on the Citizens to score two goals in the opening 45 minutes, with the odds on that right now at +135.

Pick: Man City Over 1.5 HT +135