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Everton vs Manchester City

Lyndon Lloyd , 2 May, 0comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton gear up for the penultimate match of Roberto Martinez's first season in charge with title-chasing Manchester City the visitors.

It's a game that has enormous implications for both the Premier League title race and the battle to finish in fifth place but also has the potential to be significant where the fourth and final Champions League spot is concerned.

With Arsenal occupying fourth place, four points clear of the Blues, Everton's hopes of getting a shot at Europe's elite club competition are hanging by a thread but they remain in with a shout should the Gunners fail to win both of their remaining games and Martinez's men get maximum points from theirs.

It is not completely out of the question; Arsenal face West Bromwich Albion in the lunchtime kick-off on Sunday, a team that is not yet out of the relegation woods and which has sprung a couple of surprises already this season. They should by rights have ended Jose Mourinho's much-vaunted unbeaten home record months before Sunderland eventually did but were robbed of a win by the arguably the softest penalty award of the season, and were also the first team to win at Old Trafford this season.

The fact that they have been leaking goals recently and were beaten fairly convincingly by Manchester City in their last away game won't have Evertonians feeling all that confident about the Baggies' prospects at the Emirates — nor indeed will Arsenal's ominous form since being demolished at Goodison Park last month — but they can be unpredictable.

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In the fifth-place stakes, Tottenham are the most realistic threat to Everton finishing in the top Europa League-qualifying slot but Manchester United could still edge us on goal difference if they won all their remaining fixtures and we lost both of ours. Defeat for Spurs side at Upton Park against West Ham in the early kick-off would mean they couldn't catch us and could really change the character of the contest against City from the crowd's perspective.

Indeed, with enough Evertonians having voiced their insistence that they would be quite happy to see the Blues lose to Manuel Pellegrini's team if it meant that City would be one step closer to edging Liverpool for the title, the vibes on Saturday afternoon could be very different from the usual raucous atmosphere that greets top-four sides at Goodison and which has contributed to the Citizens' downfall on numerous occasions in recent seasons.

Roberto Martinez is adamant that his men will be doing everything they can to win, not to do anyone any favours but because it is in their makeup to do so. And the Catalan has also been very clear that he won't be giving up on fourth until it is mathematically impossible. That means going for the three points that would keep the pressure on Arsenal to match that result a day later.

His cause is likely to be aided by the return of Phil Jagielka after 12 games on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. His usual partner, Sylvain Distin, is rated as more doubtful with a hamstring strain of his own so the captain could partner John Stones in central defence if Martinez favours giving the 19 year-old more experience over the veteran Antolin Alcaraz. The master and the apprentice first played together in January and helped Everton to a 2-1 win over Norwich City.

Elsewhere in the side, Martinez will need to shuffle things in midfield to replace Gareth Barry who is ineligible to play against his parent club, with Leon Osman likely to be tasked with playing a deeper-lying role alongside James McCarthy... that's assuming Darron Gibson doesn't make a surprise return. Ross Barkley could be deployed further forward while with Kevin Mirallas sidelined, of course, with a groin tear and Steven Pienaar not expected to be fit until next weekend, the final wide role would be a choice between Gerard Deulofeu and Aiden McGeady.

Pellegrini, meanwhile, travels with an almost fully-fit squad — the glaring absentee would have been David Silva but he looks like he will be passed fit to play — which should guarantee a stern test of Everton's excellent home record. In short, a point for Everton this weekend guarantees a minimum of sixth place; a win effectively guarantees fifth but failure to win on City's part would shift the advantage hugely in Liverpool's failure. If Martinez and his players are true to their word, it should make for a cracking match.

Kick off: 5.30pm
Referee: Lee Probert

Full coverage: ToffeeWeb Match Reports


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