Predicted Starting Line-Up: Everton vs Manchester City (Premier League) | OneFootball

Manchester City will make their final trip to Goodison Park this weekend before Everton transition over to a new permanent home on Merseyside from next season.

It is the latest stern test of Pep Guardiola’s side this season as they continue to battle it out for a top-five finish and UEFA Champions League qualification for the new campaign, with nothing other than three points acceptable during this phase of the league run-in.

Crystal Palace almost did huge damage to City’s hopes last time out, although a 0-2 lead at the Etihad Stadium inside the opening 22 minutes was cancelled out by five goals from the hosts largely inspired by a remarkable Kevin De Bruyne performance.

David Moyes’ Everton are certainly not a side to overlook either, having secured themselves a huge win on the road last time out as they inflicted a 0-1 defeat upon Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side also hoping for European football.

Pep Guardiola will take his side over to Merseyside with several players still absent as he confirmed all of Ederson, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, and Erling Haaland would play no part in the contest.

While Phil Foden and Manuel Akanji returned to full first-team training this week, the Manchester City boss could only reveal that the pair would be assessed later on Friday as to whether they could be part of the travelling matchday squad at Everton this weekend.

And ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming Premier League clash against Everton, here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will line-up his side for the final time at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon!

Predicted XI

Given the injury situation that Pep Guardiola finds himself in within the goalkeeping department, Stefan Ortega Moreno is perhaps the only certainty in the starting line-up owing to Ederson’s absence this weekend.

At right-back, the choice remains a flexible and unpredictable situation but we believe Guardiola may lean towards Rico Lewis to add further energy when the Englishman ventures into midfield from the wider role.

Moving into the centre of the back-four and we believe it will be an unchanged partnership of Ruben Dias alongside Josko Gvardiol, allowing for the further development of one youngster over on the left side of defence.

That is of course, Nico O’Reilly. The 20-year-old is going from strength to strength in Manchester City’s senior side and Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the youngster’s physicality and eye for a forward run and, as shown last weekend, a goal too.

Owing to Guardiola’s hesitancy to start Nico at the base of midfield in Premier League away games, we believe it could be yet another combination of Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan as part of a central five, in essence.

Ahead of that pairing but accompanied by wide players and much-needed legs across the forward line will be Kevin De Bruyne, as we believe the Belgian will continue his run of starts since announcing his pending departure from the club this summer.

Over on the right, we think it could be an opportunity for Savinho to offer his pace and threat in one-versus-one situations, combining with the central players to feed a lone striker in-behind the Everton rearguard.

On the opposite flank there could be an element of control in mind with a view towards being patient in unlocking the Toffees’ door, as Jack Grealish could start for Manchester City this weekend.

That leaves a sole striking role to be occupied by Omar Marmoush amid Erling Haaland’s continued absence through injury, with the Egyptian likely to be supported by De Bruyne and Gundogan at various points of the game.

Starting XI: Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Gundogan; Savinho, De Bruyne, Grealish; Marmoush.

Substitutes: Carson, Nunes, Reis, Khusanov, Nico, Bernardo, McAtee, Doku, Bobb.