Manchester City are set to face Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium this Monday, aiming to secure a crucial Premier League victory on the road. The Mancunian giants are riding a wave of confidence after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Southampton in the FA Cup, and Pep Guardiola is expected to field his strongest starting XI for this encounter.
Guardiola will set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Erling Haaland once again leading the attack. The Norwegian striker will be looking to add to his tally and prove a constant threat to the Everton defense.
In goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma returns after being rested for the cup fixture. The backline will feature Abdukodir Khusanov alongside Marc Guehi at center-back, tasked with keeping things solid throughout the match. Matheus Nunes will operate as right-back, while Rayan Ait-Nouri takes the left-back role—both given the freedom to push forward and express themselves in the Everton half. John Stones and Nathan Ake provide defensive cover from the bench.
The midfield duo of Nico O'Reilly and Bernardo Silva will anchor the center of the park, looking to establish dominance and control the tempo of the game. Just ahead of them, the gifted attacking trio of Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo will be crucial to City's hopes of a convincing win. All three need to be at their creative best to unlock the Everton defense.
Off the bench, Guardiola has strong options in Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, and Phil Foden, all waiting to make an impact in the second half if needed. Up top, all eyes will be on Erling Haaland to lead the line and find a way to be a real difference-maker in front of goal.
