Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Manchester City vs Everton in the Premier League on New Year's Day (kick-off 5.30pm).
Team news
Manchester City will assess David Silva and John Stones after both returned to training with the first-team group following the 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
Aymeric Laporte (knee) and Leroy Sane (knee) remain long-term absentees while Pep Guardiola could rotate his full-backs agains after Benjamin Mendy was rested against the Blades.
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Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti says he will discuss with the club's hierarchy after January 5 whether there is the opportunity to improve his 'good' squad
Everton will once more be without Alex Iwobi (hamstring) with the former Arsenal winger expected to miss the next couple of weeks.
Morgan Schneiderlin (calf) has trained the team and the midfielder could be in contention for Sundays' FA Cup tie with Liverpool. Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are recovering well.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester City's 2-0 win over Sheffield United
Opta stats
- Manchester City have won their last four Premier League games against Everton - they've never won five in a row against the Toffees in the top flight.
- Everton are winless in their last eight Premier League away games against City (D4 L4), though three of their last four visits to the Etihad have ended level (L1).
- City have won their first league game in 12 of the last 13 calendar years, losing only against Sunderland in 2012 in that run.
- Everton have lost their last three Premier League games played on New Year's Day, failing to score each time. Their last such victory came back in 2012 (1-0 at West Brom).
- City have lost only three of their last 32 Premier League home games (W27 D2 L3), although two of those losses have come in their last seven at the Etihad (W5 L2). However, City have won 52 of their 67 Premier League home games under Pep Guardiola - more than any other Premier League team since the start of 2016-17.
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A look at some of the key stats surrounding this week's Premier League action, including Liverpool's game against Sheffield United and Manchester United's trip to Arsenal
- Everton are looking to win consecutive Premier League away games for the first time since September 2016. However, the Toffees have won just two of their last 23 Premier League away games against reigning champions (D6 L15), beating Manchester United in 2013-14 and Leicester in 2016-17.
- Gabriel Jesus has scored in each of his last four Premier League games against Everton, netting five goals in total. He's scored more goals against the Toffees in the competition than he has vs any other side (5).
- Carlo Ancelotti is looking to become only the second Everton manager to win each of his first three Premier League games in charge of the club, after Joe Royle in 1994. However, in the Italian's previous stint in England, he lost more league games vs City than against any other side (3).
- Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in 19 goals for City in the Premier League this season (seven goals and 12 assists) - only Leicester's Jamie Vardy has had a hand in more (20).
- Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored five Premier League goals in December 2019, the most by a Toffees player in a single month since Romelu Lukaku scored five in February 2017.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Everton's win over Newcastle
Everton are showing some good signs for Carlo Ancelotti. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has found a goalscoring reputation - it was so attack-minded with Theo Walcott and Richarlison alongside Calvert-Lewin, with Gylfi Sigurdsson and Tom Davies in behind them.
The defence is not the best so they have to be on the front foot, but good luck with that at Manchester City, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero in attack.
Man City are in the mood to get back to second and get the belief back in the camp that they can close the gap a little. Ancelotti will change his style to accommodate the game, but this will be a convincing City win.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-0 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
