With the start of the Champions League knockout stage on the horizon, Man City look to position themselves well for a multitude of title races as they host Everton in an early Saturday night (AEDT) league kickoff.
Man City are primed to take over the top spot in the Premier League table with a win, now afforded control of their own destiny after Arsenal's victory over Liverpool. The Citizens are two points back of the first-place Reds and hold a game in hand, meaning they now have the advantage.
With Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Jeremy Doku all fully fit following injuries, Pep Guardiola has a full strength squad at his disposal, a terrifying proposition for the rest of Europe. Add a white-hot Phil Foden to that mix, and City are potentially the most in-form and fully loaded team in the world at this time.
Everton appeared to be handling their rocky season well, but have hit a rough patch recently, slipping back into the relegation zone thanks in part to their points deduction for financial irregularities. The Toffees have gone six straight without a win in Premier League play since their 2-0 win over Burnley in mid-December, and crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of surging Luton Town in that span as well.
Odds via Unibet.
Man City vs Everton prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Man City ($1.17)
- Score prediction: Man City 2-0 Everton
This Manchester City side has everything going for it at the moment, and betting against Pep Guardiola at this stage of the season is a downright terrifying proposition. Even in matches where they lack their best, such as last time out against Brentford, when they were trailing 1-0 at halftime, the necessary goals feel inevitable as matches drag on.
On the flip side, Everton have struggled for goals in recent weeks, standing as one of the worst finishing teams in England all year long. They snatched a 94th minute equaliser against Spurs last time out, but even then they vastly underperformed their expected goals, a theme all season long. As long as Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues as their main striker, this Everton side will fall short of expectations in the attacking half.
Get on a same game Multi with Unibet
| Unibet (AU) | |
| Man City win | $1.17 |
| Draw | $8 |
| Everton win | $17 |
| Both teams to score Y/N | $2.02 / $1.76 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | $2.05 / $1.77 |
Man City vs Everton match facts
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
- Kickoff time: 12:30 p.m. local (11:30 p.m. AEDT)
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee: John Brooks VAR: Michael Oliver
- Last meeting: Everton 1-3 Man City (Dec. 27, 2023 | Premier League)
Man City vs Everton best bet
- Pick: Under 3.5 total goals
- Odds: $2.05
Manchester City are back to their best form, but they still haven't blown an opponent away in quite some time. They tend to bide their time rather than look to pummel the other team from the opening whistle, as evident by their 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in late December, a team they would have been expected to overwhelm from start to finish.
Meanwhile, Everton look to muck up games, and while they struggle to score themselves, do well to keep the opposition out for as long as possible. Last time these teams met, Everton scored with their first and only real chance of the first half, and Man City eventually lifted themselves back into the match after halftime. While the scoreline eventually read 3-1, the four goals somewhat overperformed the 3.58 xG throughout the match.
Given plus odds on the under here, on the 50/50 chance the two teams swing towards a slight underperformance, there's good value on a low-scoring match controlled throughout by the favourites.
