Preview: City v Everton

December 12, 2008

Robinho

CITY manager Mark Hughes is hoping former Real Madrid striker Robinho will recover from an ankle injury in time to face Everton at Eastlands.

Defender Nedum Onuoha could come into contention after a successful run-out in the reserves following a six-week absence because of a leg muscle problem.

Micah Richards (ankle), Javier Garrido (Achilles) and Gelson Fernandes (hamstring) are all doubtful, as is Daniel Sturridge with a virus.

Regardless of which side Hughes puts out they will have a tough task against an Everton side with a good record on the road and reputation for defending in numbers away from Goodison Park.

Hughes certainly has nothing but respect for one of his former clubs and the man at the helm, David Moyes.

"David has been there six years which is quite exceptional in Premier League terms and Everton have benefited from the continuity," he said. "He has had difficult times but also some outstanding seasons and they are in good shape at the moment apart from the lack of strikers.

"They are a team that is always strong physically and do not like conceding much ground. They like to get men behind the ball and break from midfield areas.

"Tim Cahill will always be a threat and Julian Lescott is dangerous at set-pieces and in Mikel Arteta they have a quality player who can always unlock the door.

"But we know that we will be expected to take the game to them and we will. We also know that the league table will look much healthier if we can take the three points."

Victor Anichebe will undergo a pre-match fitness test to see if he is available for Everton.

The Nigerian triggered a back problem in last week’s loss against Aston Villa and will need a check before tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League away match.

Louis Saha is yet to recover from a hamstring complaint and James Vaughan will also be absent as he is still waiting to have a cartilage operation on his knee.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Ball, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, Fernandes, Robinho, Vassell, Hamann, Benjani Mwaruwari, Jo, Sturridge, Ben Haim, Schmeichel, Onuoha, Evans.

Everton (from): Howard, Neville, Lescott, Yobo, Jagielka, Baines, Arteta, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Anichebe, Nash, Castillo, Rodwell, Gosling, Jutkiewicz, Baxter, Pienaar.

City league form: LDWLD

Everton league form: WDLWL

Key opponent: Joleon Lescott - scored twice against City last season

Prediction: City 1 Everton 0 - It should be a close game but the Blues should be favourites at home

Agree with the prediction? Have your say.

You can get 8/1 on City winning 2-1 with Betfred. For this and more odds, click here.

Submit Comments | Comments (29) |

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Sam Haggar MCFC4EVER (12/12/2008 at 15:40)

Team to Play Everton

GK Hart

RB Zabeleta CB Ben Haim/Richards CB Dunne LB Ball/Gardio

RM SWP CM Irealnd CM Komany LM Vassell

CF Benjani Robinho/Jo

subs Schmeichel Onouha Hamann Fernandes Evens Sturridge Ball( if he is Not playing)

it will be a tight game will be goals even No everton got load of there strikers injured there been linked with Jo hey can get goals from any where else like Cahil Lescot and Arteta

3-2 City

Whaley Bridge cynic. (12/12/2008 at 15:42)

Everton play the ball long, high and wide to Cahill, hoping to win set pieces. It's critical that we don't give away silly free kicks as our visitors are probably the best set piece team in the Premier League.
At the other end, we need pace and patience.

The Iceman Cometh, Searching for the Knights that say (12/12/2008 at 15:53)

For crying out loud MEN, will you please put an article on here about the dogs that used to run on the pitches years ago?
Pretty please with knobs on!

Holywood Trev, Broadway, Moston (12/12/2008 at 15:55)

Ignoring the fact we have all this money and going to buy loads of players. We should really be able to beat Everton with the players we already have.

samjoe, manchester (12/12/2008 at 16:02)

if robinho plays he could be the difference if not this game could go either way i think everton are one of the most organised sides in the league they will be difficult to break down and will hope to catch us at a set piece with cahill and the big belgium kid felini both excellent in the air would like to see swp back on the right rather than through the middle and just hope robinho is fit if he plays i see it as a home win 3-1 if not a think a 1-1 draw is the most likely outcome

Andrew Shaw (12/12/2008 at 16:17)

Home win with or without Robhino.

woolleyback blue, Heart of the City (12/12/2008 at 16:41)

Not an easy game, if we had their away record we'd be top 6. They play deep and defensive and try and counter attack. I know they are short on strikers but they are red hot at set pieces. Lescott and now Felliani are dangers, also Felliani is a good attacking midfielder. Don't be suprised if it ends up a draw. ( I have to say that as my other half is a toffee and if we win I'm sleeping on the sofa)

CTID

Ste , Cheshire (12/12/2008 at 17:25)

If Yakubu was playing I would be going for an away win. They absolutely murdered us last season and could have won 5-0. We are not much better than last season without Robinho so I'll go for 1-1. If he plays then I'll say 3-1

It amazes me why some people on here think we will win every game we play and laughably think we will win the uefa cup! Is this logic based on anything other than hope?

Chapman (12/12/2008 at 17:35)

The average attendence for our Premier League home games to date is 43,774 i.e the fourth highest.Let's push on and make sure we are still in that position at the end of the season.This is some achievemnet when you think we are ahead of Aston Villa,Chelsea,Everton,Liverpool,Sunderland and West Ham.We basically need to get a minimum of 44,000 for each the remaining home games and we will be there.

festa, El Campello Alicante Spain (12/12/2008 at 17:55)

Always an hard came against the toffee's as they are an hard team to breakdown but hopefully we will have enough skill in Robinho, SWP and stevie I to beat them.
Predict a close game with city edging it 1-0 or 2-1.
Come on City prove me wrong 5-0 will be nice.

why us, uk (12/12/2008 at 18:54)

Can see us losing this one, il go for a tight 1 2 home defeat, mainly due to evertons grit and us playing key players in the wrong positions, with the same, hit and hope tactics to rob.
Hope im wrong, but Ive got no faith in this current system!

tim chorlton, chorlton (12/12/2008 at 19:32)

This will not be an easy game (not that any are). Everton have proven track record performing well against better teams on paper.

They have experience in getting results against the odds and particularly away from home.

Why do City fans keep setting themselves up for a fall?, be happy with a close fought 1-0 city.

crosspennineblue (12/12/2008 at 21:04)

Don't care how good Everton are away this season, only our strongest attacking eleven will do against these average players in their shirts of the crappest blue.

Everton 3pts -- West Brom 3pts -- Hull 3pts -- Blackburn 3pts.

NOTE: Christmas in 2009 now officially January 1st-February 2nd.

Norvaner, Vancouver (12/12/2008 at 21:15)

In Canada.....not on setanta until Weds 3 p.m.....for all you Canucks !

Kiwiblue, Wellington, New Zealand (12/12/2008 at 22:22)

If Vassell plays, we're done for. A 1-legged Robinho would be preferable to this late night reveller. Time for Hughes to change the team around, he knows he's got the players, just play them in their correct positionsfor a change. I see this game as being a watershed for City, lose and we really have a battle on our hands. This will not be an easy game.

PhillyBlue, MancInExile (12/12/2008 at 23:37)

In USA .....live on Fox Soccer Channel at 10am EST.....for all you Yanks!

Up the blues

Soulboy, Love City (13/12/2008 at 01:02)

I can't believe some of the negativity on this site from some so-called City fans.

Expecting a defeat? Maybe a draw? At home to a club with no strikers and still not enough belief that we can beat them?

Shame on you.

No wonder there is a lack of a winning mentality at the club when even our own fans don't believe we're good enough to beat a injury jinxed opposition.

2-0 for City. If I didn't believe we'd win, I wouldn't go. But maybe too many of the non-believers don't actually go...

PJS, Oz (13/12/2008 at 06:10)

Despite the injury worries (which Everton also have had) there can be no excuses whatsoever if we don't produce a respectable performance in this game given the fact we are at home and the fact we did no have any mid-week exertions (which Hughes has used in the past). Must win game.

TOE, NEW MILLS (13/12/2008 at 08:59)

get beat today and goodbye hughes!i have branded him clueless and ben in for all sorts of abuse on here,by gimps who probably dont even go to games.ive been branded a rag n disguise because of my lack of beleif in this manager.well lets see if he can play people where they should play today instead of constantly playing players out of position.even ricky hatton agrees with me,i spoke to him last week at gym bodies and his quote to the press this week as follows.mark hughes has been a disaster so far and i have no faith in him spending our money if he thinks the likes of vassell are great players and keeping our swp out of position.
Manchester City's celebrity fan Ricky Hatton has branded this season "a disaster".

The Hitman said: “The season’s been a disaster, especially with the expectations.

"Premier League football now is big money and it’s all about results. The manager must know that’s the case.

“At the start of the season people may have got a bit carried away.

"Just because you get money, it doesn’t mean you will challenge for the title straightaway.

“But I certainly didn’t expect City to be hovering around the bottom six, takeover or no takeover.”

come on hughes bum boys,what will you say if we lose today and are bottom 3?
i hope he proves me wrong like i do every week,but i doubt it.

Olky (13/12/2008 at 09:32)

No excuses today. Can't remember the last time we won in the league, it seems that long ago. Just regarding Buffonn 250K a week. Get a life you mercenary. Good though he is,I would welcome him at City, but find out what he's on, give him 20K a week extra (1 million plus a year) and he will jump at it. NO ONE else can offer him that much as they are ALL skint!!. That's the same for anyone else we want on Jan 1st. It's about time WE dictate what they get as wages. BECAUSE WE CAN. You reading this "in the RED" RAGS...

BLUEBOY! MANCHESTER NOT LONDON!, MANCHESTER (13/12/2008 at 09:53)

must win game -

Otherwise the rag will be sacked in Jan -

WE WANT MOURINHO !!

Nuff said!

City Mad (13/12/2008 at 10:30)

Does anyone know if City are on T.V on Thursday against Santander? I've checked on the usual channels ITV4, Ch5 etc and there's nothing doing

kevin cairns, morecambe (13/12/2008 at 11:05)

When Manchester City next play Manchester Utd at home, I would like to hear music by the group called The Farm. Alex Ferguson Drives around the Farm on a tractor, Their is only one make he would consider a Massey Ferguson

woolleyback blue, Heart of the City (13/12/2008 at 12:21)

I see we're at it again, calling this a must win game, saying if we don't get so many points from the remaining December games the season is over. Even Gary Owen is joining in. Our "season" doesn't start till Jan 31st when the transfer window closes. Spurs have proved how quickly a few wins can move you up the table and it's the team that plays from end of Jan to end of the season that will decide our final league place and how well we do in the FA and Uefa cups.

CTID

luke.Lincoln (13/12/2008 at 13:28)

we will get nothing from this game UNLESS we attack wth pace and take the game to them. The slow defensive build up will not work it, hasnt worked yet it didnt work uunder sven and i cant see it working in the future.
pace is the key to everything

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Manchester City Premier League champions 2011/2012