Can Everton beat Man City this weekend?
So after the interlude that is international friendly week, Everton return to the bread and butter of Premier League action. They face the league leaders Manchester City at home this weekend.
Considering how impressively dominant City has been this season do Everton have any realistic hopes of getting something from this match?
City have exhibited few weaknesses this campaign setting a blistering pace at the top of the league and maintaining it very effectively.
They have only lost once in the league this season of course so the task facing the Blues is immense.
Ironically given Everton’s woes this season, their performance in securing a point at the Etihad in August was probably the best of the season.
In that game the Toffees scored early, defended solidly and held out well until near the end. Can they reproduce something similar?
Let’s have a closer look at the league leaders and see if we can identify any weakness.
City’s current league form is imposing. Since that solitary league defeat to Liverpool in January, City have won 10 of their 11 league matches.
The last and so far only time they failed to score in a Premier League match was away to Crystal Palace at the end of December.
All this does not make comforting reading for Everton fans. However this is not an invulnerable team and there are chinks in this City side, which the Blues must try to exploit.
For a start it has been clear that teams who can get at City’s defence will have some joy. Liverpool obviously did this especially well in that 4-3 win at Anfield.
They pressed high up the pitch, quickly won back possession and stopped City building from the back as they so like to do.
It’s important to disrupt their rhythm and prevent them from settling into the suffocating possession football they employ.
Of course this is easier said than done and regrettably it has to be admitted that Everton don’t possess the attacking resources of their neighbours across Stanley Park.
But another team who did also cause City some real problems just a few days before that game were Bristol City in the League Cup semi-final.
The Championship side deployed a positive attacking mentality and took every opportunity to break with speed and purpose.
This approach underlines what the rest of the league has found out that sitting back and trying to stifle City with numbers behind the ball doesn’t work.
Bristol were always looking for chances to attack and to play balls in behind the Manchester City full-backs.
This tactic turns one of Man City’s strengths against them by stretching the centre backs apart and forcing mistakes. One such error led to the penalty that Bristol City scored.
They also won the majority of aerial duels dominating that aspect. This is area where Man City are weak and a part of the game you would expect a Sam Allardyce team to be able to exploit effectively.
Everton certainly have plenty of height and aerial threat. Any set-piece attacking opportunities they get need to be taken advantage of.
Defensively it’s a massive test and Everton will have to be at their very best at the back.
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The Blues’ full-backs will have to be disciplined in supporting their central defenders; but they will also need to be able to break quickly whenever Everton have a counter-attacking opportunity.
I also think it might make sense to play three centre-backs and bring Mason Holgate in alongside Phil Jagielka and Michael Keane.
Holgate has real pace, something that’s important when up against the quick wide men, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, in City’s attack. He’s also very comfortable on the ball too.
This matters as when the Blues have the ball they must make it count and not give away cheap possession in their third because it’s so hard to get the ball off this City side.
All in all, this match represents a very stern test of Everton’s short and limited revival over the past few games.
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As City will almost certainly dominate possession and score, the Blues must remain positive and composed. They must not panic and will probably have to produce a performance of the season to secure something from the game.