Manchester City vs Everton Predictions

• Manchester City have won three of their last four Premier League games
• Everton have lost three of their last four away games against Premier League opposition
• Erling Haaland has scored in five consecutive Premier League games

City eye top spot after international break

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon with a chance to go top of the table, at least temporarily, when Everton travel to the Etihad Stadium.

City sit fifth in the table but are just three points off the summit, and a win here would send a strong message to their title rivals. And they will fancy their chances of maintaining a run of good domestic form against a Toffees side that has struggled away from home this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side have recovered well from a shaky start to the campaign, winning three of their last four league games. They edged past Brentford 1-0 before the international break thanks to a clinical Erling Haaland finish.

Haaland has his eyes on Vardy’s record

Haaland, who withdrew early from Norway duty to rest, has been in sensational form with 12 goals already this term. He has bagged in City’s last five top-flight games and is probably already eying Jamie Vardy’s record of scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League contests.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund striker has scored four goals in four games against Everton since he joined City. The only time he has failed to get on the scoresheet was in last season’s 1-1 draw when Jordan Pickford saved his second-half penalty as Everton earned a 1-1 draw under Sean Dyche.

Haaland would have been looking forward to seeing his old pal Jack Grealish again this weekend but their meeting will have to wait until after the match in the player’s lounge due to the England winger being ineligible to face his parent club.

Grealish absence will test Toffees’ mettle

Grealish’s absence will be a big blow to the visitors, who have already come to rely on his game-breaking ability. David Moyes could be tempted to unleash Tyler Dibling from the start, but he may be thinking about a more conservative balance to the side.

Moyes has brought stability to the club since returning in January, but while the Toffees are enjoying a solid start to life at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, results on the road have been much the same as before.

Everton lost their opening game of the season 1-0 at Leeds when they created very little before Grealish inspired them to a 3-2 win at Wolves. But they then lost at Molineux in the Carabao Cup three days after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the Merseyside derby.

City have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning four of the last five meetings and outscoring Everton 11-2 in that span. With home advantage, Haaland in peak form, and Everton missing key personnel, a comfortable win for the hosts looks likely.