Pep Guardiola's side can overtake Liverpool at the summit of the table if they win three points at Goodison Park
Manchester City have the opportunity to go top of the Premier League on Wednesday when they travel to face Everton.
Liverpool have slipped up in their last couple of matches, and while Pep Guardiola’s side have also proven vulnerable, losing to Newcastle, what might have been a seven-point gap could be totally eradicated.
City are playing this fixture in advance due to their raft of commitments in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and it gives them the chance to launch a pre-emptive strike on the Reds, though their city rivals are unlikely to make life easy for them at Goodison Park.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can watched on NBCSN or UNIVERSO. It can be streamed via NBC Sports Live or UNIVERSO NOW.
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast or available for streaming.
Squads & Team News
Everton go into this match without long-term absentees Phil Jagielka and Yerry Mina. Additionally, there are doubts over Leighton Baines, who is unlikely to make the squad after going off injured at the weekend. Lucas Digne will start.
Idrissa Gueye is a minor worry.
Possible Everton starting XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Digne; Gomes, Gueye, Sigurdsson; Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
Benjamin Mendy is now fully functional for Manchester City, though lacking match readiness. Claudio Bravo and Vincent Kompany are both on the sidelines, however.
Pep Guardiola has rotated his side a little of late and could hand starts to Leroy Sane and John Stones in this one, with the centre-back primed to play against his former club.
Possible Manchester City starting XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Danilo; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, Sane
Betting & Match Odds
Manchester City are 3/10 favourites to win this game at bet365. Everton are a 9/1 shot, while a draw is 21/4.
Match Preview
All eyes will be on Manchester City on Tuesday as they attempt to go back to the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool have stumbled in their quest for a first English crown since 1990, and while they still remain in the driving seat, if Pep Guardiola’s men were to win on Tuesday in response to two Reds draws, the psychological edge would surely have swung in their favour.
City overcame a stern test from Arsenal at the weekend, winning 3-1 thanks to a treble from Sergio Aguero, and though there was controversy over his third goal, in which he admitted to a handball, the Citizens were resounding and deserving winners.
It was an impressive way to bounce back from a stunning loss against Newcastle, which threatened to end their title challenge.
Guardiola, however, is still aware that City’s hopes balance on the edge of a knife.
“The pressure is when you're behind. If you lose points, it's tougher. When you're top with distance you can lose points and still be there,” he said, but denied he is trying to play mental warfare with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
“I'm not in the mind of Jurgen and the players. Every press conference you say: 'Put pressure on Liverpool.' I don't know. We have to be ourselves. That's the main target we want to achieve. And win our games.”
City will now aim to put on the kind of commanding display they managed at Goodison Park last season, when they ran out 3-1 winners but in truth were far more comfortable than that.
“You could see it in their faces in the first half that they didn't know what was happening … and that's why you feel in so much control I guess, when you see it on their faces,” Kevin De Bruyne commented in the aftermath of that encounter.
The same scoreline was repeated shortly before Christmas, when the clubs last met, and since then Everton’s form has largely been disappointing.
The Toffees went down 3-1 against Wolves on Saturday, despite Andre Gomes drawing them level in the first half.
Europe is not out of the question for Marco Silva’s side, but pressure is mounting on the manager, whose side could be in the bottom half of the table by the weekend if results go awry.
Guardiola and City will, however, show little sympathy.