Everton v Manchester City: Paul Merson issues shock score prediction
Paul Merson has predicted the exact scoreline as Everton play host to Manchester City at Goodison Park.
The Toffees have secured their place in the Premier League next season and have very little to play for in the coming games.
City, on the other hand, are at risk of missing out on Champions League football for the first time in a decade, and need to win as many games as they can.
Merson predicts Everton and City to share the spoils
Despite City’s comeback against Crystal Palace and them appearing to find some kind of form in the business end of the season, Merson does not see them winning against the Toffees.
He predicts a 1-1 for the game and believes it’s going to be a difficult one for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “This is a difficult game for Manchester City. You look at their result last weekend and think, ‘wow, what an incredible comeback, from 2-0 down to 5-2 in the end!’. If Eberechi Eze had managed to stay onside in that game, it would have been 3-0 to Crystal Palace. And 3-0 at that stage would have been game over for City!
| Last 12 | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Everton | 5 | 6 | 1 |
“I don’t think Manchester City are back to their best, no way. If Aston Villa win this weekend and City fail to beat Everton, Pep Guardiola’s men could drop further behind in the race to finish inside the top five. Let’s not forget that City also have to face Villa after this and in the space of just a few days, they could well and truly be out of the race to play Champions League next season.
“Everton are a team in form as well. They have scored in each of their last nine games except for that one loss to Liverpool – the only game they lost during this run. This is the last big game at Goodison Park before Everton move to their new stadium so the atmosphere will be cracking from the start.
“I expect City to face the heat on Merseyside. They are now in a position where we are not used to seeing them and I’m not entirely sure they can keep up with their rivals in the race to finish in the top five.”
David Moyes will also count on the Goodison Park faithful
David Moyes will approach Everton’s clash against Manchester City with a pragmatic, disciplined strategy to secure at least a point, leveraging the passionate home crowd to unsettle the visitors.
With City chasing a Champions League spot, Moyes will likely deploy a compact system, focusing on defensive solidity to frustrate City’s fluid attack.
He’ll instruct his midfield to press high selectively, targeting City’s build-up play while maintaining a low block to limit space for their rampant attackers.
Full-backs like Jake O’Brien and Vitalii Mykolenko will tuck in to counter City’s wingers, with Jarrad Branthwaite anchoring the defence.
Moyes will rely on quick transitions, looking to hit the opponents on the break to exploit their high line.
The Goodison Park crowd, renowned for its intensity, will amplify Everton’s resolve, creating a hostile atmosphere to disrupt City’s rhythm.
Set pieces, a Moyes hallmark, could be decisive, with Everton drilling routines to capitalise on corners or free-kicks in order to get something from the game.