Premier League champions Manchester City look to put the finishing touches on an outstanding season as they host Everton FC on Sunday. There are doubts over the fitness of a few key players so let us run down who might miss out here.
City have already wrapped up the league, so there isn’t much for to play for, but that is not the case with the visitors. The Toffees can secure qualification to the UEFA Conference League by beating the hosts, but they will also need Leicester City to overcome Tottenham.
Manchester City vs Everton FYIs
Kick-off time: 4 PM GMT, 23 May Sunday
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction: go here
Form Guide Premier League: Manchester City (WWLWL) Everton (LWDLW)
The big injury concern here is in regards to Ilkay Gundogan, who had to be substituted against Brighton and Hove Albion last week. Even if he is declared fit, it is likely that he won’t play any part with the Champions League final coming next week.
Raheem Sterling could miss out on this game as he is in the same situation as the German. Another concern for City is the fitness of departing striker Sergio Aguero.
Despite this, expect him to at least come off the bench in his farewell match. Also, Joao Cancelo is suspended following his red card against Newcastle United.
For the hosts, they can be forgiven if their focus is on the Champions League final against Chelsea instead of this match.
But Pep Guardiola is the type of manager who likes to win every game and will want a committed performance from his team. Everton have players that can cause problems which should make the hosts wary.
The bigger worry for Guardiola will be that none of his players suffer any kind of injury. Aiming for a treble, he needs all his players to be fit and ready for Chelsea. So the Spaniard’s approach towards this game should be interesting to watch. There is a chance that some of the youngsters will feature in the playing eleven.
Manchester City can be proud of the way they have played this season and can put an emphatic full stop on the campaign with a win over Everton.
The Toffees need to get the victory which will make them attack with more aggression. This will open up gaps for the City players to exploit. Despite the quality present in the Merseyside team, the hosts will likely be going home the happier of the two sides on Championship Sunday.