We face the Toffees at the Etihad Stadium today, kick-off 15:00 (UK time).
In comes Bernardo Silva in place of Ilkay Gundogan, with Kevin De Bruyne taking on the captain’s armband.
Julian Alvarez, back yesterday following his World Cup win, is on the bench.
TEAMS
CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (c), Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Phillips, Cancelo, Gundogan, Alvarez, Gomez, Foden, Palmer
EVERTON XI: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Coady, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Onana, Gueye, Iwobi, Gray, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Begovic, Holgate, Keane, McNeil, Doucoure, Maupay, Coleman, Davies, Vinagre
TACTICS
It will be 4-3-3 once again for City – Pep Guardiola’s favoured formation.
Ederson is once again between the sticks after returning to action for the 3-1 win at Leeds United.
He will be protected by a back four of Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Nathan Ake.
Rodrigo is the anchor man in the midfield, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne getting forward on either side of him.
Jack Grealish will look to do damage on the left wing and Riyad Mahrez attacking on the right in support of central forward Erling Haaland, who’ll be looking to add to his tally of 20 Premier League goals this afternoon.
GOOD END TO 2022? HECTIC START TO 2023!
Pep Guardiola will be eager to end 2022 on a high, as he gets his squad ready for a hectic start to 2023.
After today’s Everton clash, we play six games in January.
It begins with two games against Chelsea, first away in the Premier League on Thursday 5 January, kick-off 20:00 (UK) and then at home in the FA Cup on Sunday 8 January, kick-off 16:30 (UK).
What follows is a trip to Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, with that match taking place on Wednesday 11 January, kick-off 20:00 (UK).
Then it’s three Premier League games in nine days – the Manchester derby at Old Trafford (Saturday 14 January, kick-off 12:30), before home matches against Tottenham (Thursday 19 January, kick-off 20:00) and Wolves (Sunday 22 January, 14:00).
RICO READY TO GO AGAIN
Rico Lewis has kept his place in the City side this afternoon for the visit of Everton – as he now looks to build on his first Premier League start against Leeds.
Lewis came in for praise for his performance at Elland Road, allied to a strong showing in our Carabao Cup win over Liverpool.
He’ll be eyeing another top display against the Toffees as he brings his youthful energy and enthusiasm to the team.
Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the 18-year-old and stressed that his passion and fire is working wonders off the pitch too.
He said: “Some players have five Premier Leagues. Why in your mind should you fight again.
“But that’s why we need Rico Lewis - because for him it’s wow, it’s new. ‘I want to be there, I want to play, I want to stay a long time here, I want to win one Premier League’.
“And this energy is contagious. He gives it to me and he gives it to the players.
“It puts pressure for the other ones. And it is so necessary.”
BERNARDO WARNING
Bernardo Silva, back in the side this afternoon after sitting out the game against Leeds, has stressed that City must be at their best to defeat Everton, who he said have a ‘big team mentality’ despite the position in the Barclays Premier League.
While City are chasing down Arsenal at the summit, the Toffees are 16th – two places and one point above the drop zone.
Bernardo insisted that the sky blues must hit the heights at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
He said: “Everton is always a difficult game because even when they are not doing very well, it is a physical team and they have a big team mentality.
“We have suffered in the past against them. We are not going to take it easy, we are going to take this game seriously against them because we know how difficult it is to play against a team with so many quality players like Everton.”
Pep Guardiola is of the same opinion as he warned his players they have to be ‘ready again’ after the exertions against Leeds.
He added: “The quality is there - we have a feeling Everton have exceptional, really good players.
“In this period of the calendar it can be a problem. Just three days after the game against Leeds, which was so demanding. We have to be ready again.”
WATCH: City 3-0 Everton: Extended highlights
MATCH STATS
City are unbeaten in our last 11 home league games against Everton (W7 D4), having lost four in a row against them at the Etihad before this.
City have lost our final league game in just one of the last 21 calendar years (W11 D9), going down 1-0 at Liverpool in 2016.
Everton have won just four of their 30 Premier League away games against reigning champions (D6 L20), with each victory coming against a different side – Blackburn in 1995/96, Manchester United in 2013/14, Leicester in 2016/17 and Liverpool in 2020/21.
Everton are unbeaten in their last six league matches played on New Year’s Eve (W4 D2), though this is their first such match since a 1-0 win at Sunderland in 2005.
CITY QUIZ OF THE YEAR | TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Phil Foden has scored three goals in his last four Premier League games against Everton, while he’s also had a hand in nine goals in eight league appearances at the Etihad this season (6 goals, 3 assists).
Erling Haaland has scored 17 goals in 11 home games for City in all competitions this season – the last player to net more in a single campaign at the Etihad was Sergio Aguero in 2018/19 (19 in 20 games).
City have lost only two of our last 58 Premier League games played at 15:00 on a Saturday (W50 D6), with both of those games coming against Crystal Palace (December 2018 and October 2021).
City are looking to beat Everton in five consecutive home league matches for the first time since an eight-game run between 1905 and 1912.
Pep Guardiola failed to win his first three league meetings with Everton, but has since overseen nine consecutive wins in this fixture in the Premier League.
GUARDIOLA PAYS SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO PELE
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has two goals and two assists in seven Premier League appearances against City, though the last of those came in September 2019.
Riyad Mahrez has been directly involved in seven goals across his last eight starts against Everton in the Premier League (4 goals, 3 assists), scoring or assisting in each of his last four starts.
