Key events
A reminder of the teams.
Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Foden, Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, Haaland, Doku.
Substitutes: Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O'Reilly, McAtee
Everton (possible 4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Mangala, Gueye; Harrison, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Beto, O'Brien, Chermiti, Broja, Lindstrom, Armstrong
Referee Simon Hooper.
“The LFC failed to score against Evo Because the game never happened,” writes Jon Dry. “I'm just saying…”
Did they score a goal, yes or no?
Pep Guardiola on the new world of Manchester City
“Is Seamus Coleman replacing Ashley Cole? In a starting lineup is there a candidate with the oldest combined age for such a change? asks Nick Smith. “Free sherry for anyone who can find an older country pair.”
Ashley Cole? Are you sure there's any sherry left? Good question, though: Seamus Coleman (36) and Ashley Young (39) have a combined age of 75. As with most age-based questions, the answer probably involves Stanley Matthews or Kazuyoshi Miura.
Sean Dyche is one step away from using the V word here. The day he starts talking about vibrations is the day we know it's over.
Pep Guardiola arrives at Amazon
(How do you find your rhythm again?) I don't know. Basically, winning games. We can't think beyond the next game; let's try it.
I love the club, the hierarchy and the people, my life in Manchester. We have many problems, for many reasons, and the goal is to turn them around.
When we won everything in the past we had almost a full team. Now we have eight important players out. When they return they have to join the team directly and with a game every three days they get injured again. We are in a cycle that we cannot get out of.
Kyle is not feeling well, Kevin and Gundogan (who are on the bench) have had the flu in recent days, Jack (Grealish) is injured. Football is unpredictable. When you think, 'Oh, it's going to be difficult,' maybe our shape will change.
(About the transfer window) If we can, we will definitely have to add players. That said, I don't know if it will happen because the winter transfer window is not easy.
statistics department City have won 14 and drawn in their last 15 games against EvertonSo there's that.
Barney Ronay on City's shock collapse
There is no obvious explanation for any of this. A team that was all aura, that carried its presence before it like a spear, has become an anti-presence, stuffed shirts, straw men.
As always, explanations tend to be divided into a macro and micro view of history. The details will always decide a game. But we remain addicted to our radical narratives. So the most sensible analysis says: remove the Ballon d'Or winner from any team, add one or two key defensive injuries and, of course, there will be a drop.
team news
Nathan Ake, Savinho and Jeremy Doku He comes into City in place of Ilkay Gundogan and the injured pair of Jack Grealish and John Stones.
everton start Seamus Coleman at right back in place of the suspended Ashley Young. That's the only change from Sunday's goalless draw against Chelsea.
Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Foden, Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, Haaland, Doku.
Substitutes: Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O'Reilly, McAtee
Everton (possible 4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Mangala, Gueye; Harrison, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Beto, O'Brien, Chermiti, Broja, Lindstrom, Armstrong
Referee Simon Hooper.
Preamble
You don't have to wait until New Year's Day to make a resolution. STOP DRINKING. city of manchester We hope that the Christmas holidays – its four days – will be the signal to emerge from the astonishing crisis of the last two months. It will probably never make sense that a team of City's caliber has lost nine games in 12, but the sooner they start winning, the sooner they can consign it to the annals.
City will have a relatively good run of games in the coming weeks, starting at home until Everton today. That said, Arsenal and Chelsea have come up dry against Sean Dyche this month, and even Liverpool failed to score against them three weeks ago. Any goal is likely to be achieved with effort.
Kick off 12:30 p.m.
