Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 49/100
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
After almost a two‑week pause in Premier League action, Manchester City return to the title race on Monday night with a historic first visit to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Sky Blues arrive fresh from booking their place in the FA Cup final, while the Toffees are licking their wounds after another crushing late defeat.
Everton
David Moyes’ personal record against Pep Guardiola offers little encouragement, and this reunion with the Manchester City manager could hardly come at a worse time. Everton’s recent momentum has faltered, with the Toffees slipping back into inconsistency just as European hopes were beginning to take shape.
After collecting a respectable 10 points from five league matches between late February and mid‑April, Everton now head into Monday’s clash on the back of consecutive 2–1 defeats, both decided deep into stoppage time. Virgil van Dijk’s dramatic 100th‑minute winner in the Merseyside derby was followed by Callum Wilson’s 92nd‑minute strike for West Ham last weekend, leaving Moyes’ side stranded in the bottom half and dealing a blow to continental ambitions.
Everton remain within touching distance of the top six, however, as Brighton & Hove Albion begin the weekend only three points ahead. There is also the small comfort that the Toffees have not yet lost three Premier League matches in a row during the 2025–26 campaign.
History, though, is firmly stacked against them. Everton are winless in their last 17 league meetings with Manchester City, who also triumphed on each of their last eight top‑flight visits to Goodison Park. Translating that dominance to Hill Dickinson Stadium is City’s next objective.
Team News
Jack Grealish, on loan from City, would have been ineligible against his parent club regardless, but the winger has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing foot surgery. He joins Jarrad Branthwaite on the sidelines, with the defender still nursing a thigh injury.
There is a boost in attack, however. Beto has completed concussion protocol following a blow sustained in the derby and could return straight into the starting lineup. The forward had been in excellent form beforehand, contributing four goals and one assist in his previous three appearances, and may immediately replace Thierno Barry at the point of the attack.
Manchester City
While Arsenal’s quadruple dream has unravelled, Manchester City’s own treble ambitions remain very much alive. The Carabao Cup has already been secured, Guardiola’s men are favourites to overcome managerless Chelsea in the FA Cup final, and control of the Premier League title race is firmly in their hands.
Even if City kick off six points behind Arsenal, the context is favourable. The reigning champions have two games in hand and are once again building momentum at the business end of the season. They have won six consecutive matches in all competitions, conceding just twice, and are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League fixtures.
Recent victories have required patience rather than dominance. A narrow 1–0 league win over Burnley and a hard‑fought 2–1 FA Cup semi‑final triumph against Southampton highlighted City’s ability to grind out results when necessary, a hallmark of Guardiola’s most successful sides.
Away from home, improvement has been clear. Since a shock 2–0 defeat to Manchester United in January, City have taken 14 points from their last six league matches on the road, nearly matching the 17 they collected from their first 11 away games this season.
The Guardiola‑Moyes managerial matchup remains one‑sided. City’s coach has never lost a Premier League meeting with the Scot, recording 12 wins and three draws across 15 encounters.
Team News
Guardiola revealed that Rodri is “getting better” as he manages a groin issue, though the midfielder has yet to train and remains a doubt. His deputy Nico Gonzalez has made a compelling case to keep his place after smashing in a 30‑yard winner in the FA Cup semi‑final, City’s longest‑range goal of the season.
Defensively, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias are still sidelined with calf and thigh injuries respectively, but otherwise City are well stocked. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and the soon‑to‑depart Bernardo Silva are all expected to return to the starting XI for the trip to Merseyside.
Conclusion
At this stage of the season, Manchester City do not need to overwhelm opponents—they simply need to keep winning, and that is precisely what Guardiola’s side continue to do. With key players refreshed and momentum firmly on their side, City appear well equipped to take advantage of an Everton team struggling to close out matches.
Against a Toffees side showing signs of fatigue and frustration, a seventh straight victory for the Sky Blues is the most likely outcome as City press on toward another potentially historic campaign.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 49/100
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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