Jamie Carragher drops Everton ‘suspicion’ ahead of Premier League clash v Manchester City
Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City will have to “scrap” as hard as they have all season to beat Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Pep Guardiola’s side make the trip to Goodison Park looking to tighten their grip on the Premier League title having replaced Arsenal at the top of the table.
Writing in his latest column for The Telegraph on Friday 12 May, Carragher believes Everton will prove to be a stern test for Guardiola’s side.
“Whatever happens against City, Everton will have further chances to save themselves against Wolverhampton and Bournemouth,” wrote the former Liverpool defender.
“But my suspicion is that Guardiola’s side will have to scrap as hard as they have had to all season to secure three points. An Everton win guarantees Dyche the chance to lead the club towards a brighter future.
“If City win, there will no longer be a belief that they can win the Treble. It will become an expectation that they will do so.”
Make it scrappy
Everton need City to play into their strengths. Making the game scrappy, looking to slow down the tempo and preventing Guardiola’s side from reaching full flow is a must. City have an enormous fixture against Real Madrid on Wednesday, so the Spaniard could be persuaded to make some changes to his starting XI.
Nevertheless, City’s firepower is remarkable. Sean Dyche’s men will have to produce Brighton-esque levels if they want to come away with a positive result. Ensuring the fans are behind them is absolutely essential. The recent home loss to Newcastle was damaging and the former Burnley man will be looking to avoid a similar display and outcome.
Every single player will have to be at their best. However, a loss is not the be-all and end-all for the Toffees. The away fixture against Wolves and the home clash against Bournemouth are very winnable. There’s a genuine chance of Premier League survival and it’s an opportunity which cannot be passed up.