View: Ancelotti to make four changes – Predicted Everton XI v Man City
Everton are set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday as they look to break a two-game losing streak.
The Toffees have lost back-to-back Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and Burnley, and they’ll hope for more luck when they host league leaders City at Goodison Park.
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Everton will be without both senior goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen, while Abdoulaye Doucoure, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, James Rodriguez and Fabian Delph will also be unavailable.
At Goodison News, we have named our predicted Everton XI to take on Man City on Saturday…
With both Pickford and Olsen unavailable the Blues will turn to Joao Virginia, who appears set for his second cup start of the season.
Against both Burnley in the Premier League and Salford City in the Carabao Cup, Virginia is yet to concede in Everton senior colours, but that could be set to change against the Cityzens.
In order to solidify Everton’s backline Ancelotti could opt to play a back-three against the league leaders, with Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey joined by the recently returned from injury Yerry Mina.
Allan is now firmly back in the frame for Everton so he’ll likely start, while Ancelotti will have a few options to play alongside him. Tom Davies has been one of the club’s form players in recent weeks and Gylfi Sigurdsson didn’t play against Burnley, so the duo could join Allan in making up the midfield.
Seamus Coleman could replace the slightly underperforming Mason Holgate while Lucas Digne will retain his place on the left, with the duo possibly needed in a more advanced position to support both the midfield and the defence.
Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will both lead the line for the Blues, with Ancelotti likely to pin his hopes of cup success on the duo heading into the game.
Everton’s home form this season has been fairly horrific, particularly since the beginning of the New Year, and Ancelotti will demand so mammoth performances to stave off the threat of City.
Having won 24 of their last 25 games in all competitions, City are currently a force to be reckoned with, so an Everton win would be a huge victory for both the club and for Ancelotti.
Everton can still qualify for European football through their final standings in the Premier League this season, but qualifying through the cup would be even sweeter if it meant delivering silverware to Goodison Park for the first time since 1995.
In other Everton news, Sigurdsson is determined to see out his Everton contract despite the club wanting to sell him this summer.