Everton will be looking to delay Manchester City’s title party when the Premier League leaders travel to Goodison Park on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side need just six more points to confirm their position as champions, with a trip to Merseyside intended to leave them on the brink heading into a derby date with Manchester United.
Everton, though, have proved to be a thorn in City’s side over the last 18 months or so and will be hoping to preserve a record which sees them standing alone as the only top-flight side Guardiola is yet to taste victory against since his arrival in English football back in 2016.
Here, Goal takes a look at everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Everton injuries
The international break has not been overly kind to Everton boss Sam Allardyce, with Idrissa Gueye and Tom Davies suffering thigh and neck injuries respectively.
They have joined Gylfi Sigurdsson on the sidelines, with the Icelandic midfielder facing a race against time to make this summer’s World Cup after picking up an untimely knee problem.
The Toffees are also without Mason Holgate (knee) and James McCarthy (calf), while the terms of Eliaquim Mangala’s loan from City mean he is ineligible to face his parent club.
Everton suspensions
Ashley Williams, who saw red in a 2-1 defeat at Burnley, will serve the final instalment of a three-match ban.
Everton potential starting line-up
Allardyce will be forced into changes as Everton go in search of a third successive Premier League win.
The likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Davy Klaassen and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be pushing for recalls, while Cenk Tosun will be aiming to prolong a scoring sequence which has seen him net four times in his last three appearances.
Man City team news
Sergio Aguero remains a slight doubt with a knee problem but will continue to be assessed and could make the matchday squad, while Fabian Delph could return to the fold after a month on the sidelines.
Benjamin Mendy has made a welcome return to training after recovering from a serious knee problem, but he will be eased back in by Guardiola after a six-month absence.
TV channel & kick-off time
The fixture will be broadcast live in the UK (United Kingdom) on BT SPORT 1 from 17:00 GMT .
In the United States , the game can be watched live on television on NBC and kicks off at 12:30 ET.
Best Opta match facts
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Everton have won six of their last nine home games against Man City in all competitions (D1 L2), winning 4-0 last season under Ronald Koeman.
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Everton have only won three of their 38 Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table (D8 L27), with two of those sides going on to win the title anyway (Chelsea in 2009-10 and Man City in 2011-12).
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Man City could become only the third team to beat all other teams in a single Premier League season, after Chelsea in 2005-06 and Manchester United in 2010-11.
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Everton’s 4-0 win in this fixture last season is Pep Guardiola’s heaviest ever league defeat as a manager and one of just three occasions in his managerial career he has lost by four goals.
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Wayne Rooney has scored nine Premier League goals against Man City – only Alan Shearer (11) has scored more against the Citizens.
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Cenk Tosun has scored four goals in his last three games for Everton, after failing to find the net in any of his first four. No Turkish player has ever scored in four consecutive Premier League games before.
