Pep Guardiola's have essentially had one hand on the title for a number of months, but they are now potentially just eight days away from making it official. Victory on Merseyside would give City the chance to seal the championship crown against local rivals Manchester City the following weekend, which is an opportunity they will be desperate to take. It is also possible, though, that Guardiola and his players will have at least half an eye on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool, with the first leg scheduled for Wednesday night. It will be interesting to see how that match influences Guardiola's team selection here, although City have regularly shown they are still a frightening proposition even when one or two of their key players are left out of the starting line-up.
Everton have had a strange campaign and many of their supporters will probably be counting down the days until it finishes, even if their current position of ninth is far from disastrous. Many predicted the Toffees would be the best of the rest behind the big six in 2017-18, but a poor start under Ronald Koeman saw that objective give way to genuine fears of relegation. Sam Allardyce initially steadied the ship and guided Everton into the top half of the table, but the relationship between dugout and terraces is fractured and it is difficult to see the former Crystal Palace, Sunderland and West Ham boss still being at Goodison Park next term. For now, though, the goal is to finish as high in the standings as possible, with a strong home record at least providing some cause for optimism ahead of City’s visit on Saturday.
Win cash prizes for free with our competition!
| User |
Total tips |
Profit | 1 | Yield | Expected prize |
Laghu Yadav
|
129
|
176734 | 2 |
+5.85%
|
500 EUR |
BateCrew
|
109
|
127479 | 3 |
+6.47%
|
250 EUR |
pimidor
|
39
|
118107 | 4 |
+12.16%
|
125 EUR |
LuckyZara
|
37
|
95340 | 5 |
+18.50%
|
75 EUR |
stasibet
|
58
|
63168 | 6 |
+7.20%
|
50 EUR |
Don't miss out - join our April Tipster Competition today
John Stones looks set to miss out through concussion, while Benjamin Mendy (knee) is definitely out and Sergio Aguero (knee) and Fabian Delph (muscular) may not be risked due to the aforementioned Champions League clash with Liverpool. Gabriel Jesus could therefore start up front alongside two of Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane, while Ilkay Gundogan could get the nod ahead of David Silva in midfield. At the other end of the field, meanwhile, Guardiola will choose between Vincent Kompany and Aymeric Laporte to partner Nicolas Otamendi in the heart of the defence.
Mason Holgate (ankle), Ashley Williams (suspended), Gylfi Sigurdsson (knee), Eliaquim Mangala (knee), Maarten Stekelenburg (groin) and James McCarthy (leg) will play no part for the hosts, but Idrissa Gueye could be passed fit after a hamstring problem. Cenk Tosun could get the nod up front, with his physicality and aerial prowess making him the ideal targetman for a game in which the Toffees will look to get the ball forward quickly, while Theo Walcott and Yannick Bolasie could both be chosen for their pace out wide.
Despite the fact that Everton are much stronger at home than on the road and Manchester City have a Champions League game to look forward to, it is difficult to look beyond an away win in this one. Backing Guardiola’s men to come out on top and score more than 2.5 goals could be a sensible selection.
.png)
