Manchester City have the chance to move to the top of the Premier League table, even if only briefly, when they welcome Everton to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.
The Cityzens are three points behind league leaders Arsenal, who play later in the day, but need to win by three or more to usurp the Gunners on goal difference. Bournemouth will also remain ahead of them if they triumph at Crystal Palace.
League position isn’t exactly Pep Guardiola’s primary focus at this early stage, with the Spaniard keen to eke more out of his team as a collective. Erling Haaland’s inevitability has kept them afloat thus far.
David Moyes’ Everton will present a stern challenge, although Jack Grealish is ineligible to feature. City have dominated this fixture in recent times, with the Toffees last winning at the Etihad 15 years ago.
Here’s how Guardiola could line the hosts up on Saturday afternoon.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Everton (4-1-4-1)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—The Italian has said he feels “at home” at Man City after leaving the European champions in the summer. He’s enjoyed a good enough start to life in the Premier League, but he’ll have to be on the ball for a couple of moments here.
RB: Matheus Nunes—Nunes has enjoyed a run in the domestic XI, and that’s likely to continue on Saturday, given his lack of action over the break.
CB: Rúben Dias—Dias had a busy break, playing 180 minutes, but John Stones also started twice for England, so Pep will likely offer the Barnsley Beckenbauer some respite this weekend.
CB: Joško Gvardiol—Gvardiol has gone about his business rather quietly at the start of the new season, but that shouldn’t detract from his impressive form.
LB: Nico O’Reilly—The youngster earned his first England call-up but didn’t see the field for Thomas Tuchel’s side. Like Nunes, he’s been Guardiola’s preferred option as of late. Rayan Aït-Nouri is still out injured.
CM: Nico González—It looks like Rodri’s going to miss out this weekend, having suffered an injury in the win over Brentford two weeks ago. As a result, the former Porto midfielder will likely be turned to for mitigation.
RW: Bernardo Silva—City supporters will perhaps want a more dynamic option down the right, with Oscar Bobb and Savinho available, but Pep’s trust in the veteran is unwavering.
AM: Phil Foden—Another refreshed Cityzen entering Saturday’s game, Foden has enjoyed a run in the City team and will now want to up his goal contributions after a positive opening to 2025–26.
CM: Tijjani Reijnders—The summer addition hasn’t quite dominated as he teased to do after a stellar debut, but Reijnders has quickly emerged as a pivotal figure in City’s midfield. His craft will be important on Saturday.
LW: Jérémy Doku—After helping Belgium take control of their FIFA World Cup qualifying group, the in-form Doku is out to torment the Toffees this weekend. Injuries could see him line up against 37-year-old Séamus Coleman.
ST: Erling Haaland—City will benefit from the Premier League’s Golden Boot leader returning from international duty earlier than expected, after he bagged a hat-trick in Norway’s victory over Israel. Very few defences have slowed him down since the start of the new season.
READ THE LATEST MAN CITY NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Everton: Injured Rodri Leaves Midfield Void.