Ake returns as City make three changes against Everton

Manchester City F.C.

·26 de diciembre de 2024

Ake returns as City make three changes against Everton

Pep Guardiola has made three changes to his Manchester City side for our Boxing Day Premier League clash with Everton.

We host Sean Dyche's side in a 12:30 (UK) kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, seeking a return to winning ways after a testing run of form over November and December.

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After last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa, Guardiola has called Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Savinho into his starting XI.

They come into the team in place of John Stones, Jack Grealish and Ilkay Gundogan.

In starting, Ake will make his first appearance since the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on 4 December.

Captain Kyle Walker is ill and therefore misses out on the squad completely.

17-year-old goalkeeper Spike Brits features on the bench for the first time alongside experienced shot stopper Scott Carson.

Teams

CITY XI: Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo (C), Savinho, Foden, Doku, Haaland

Subs: Carson, Brits, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, Alleyne, O'Reilly, McAtee

WATCH: I feel incredibly supported – Pep

Tactics

Stefan Ortega Moreno is protected by a defence of Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol, with Lewis and Gvardiol expected to venture forward too.

Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva will likely hold down the centre of midfield, with Phil Foden operating in the spaces ahead of them.

Jeremy Doku and Savinho will be on the wings, looking to supply central striker Erling Haaland.

WATCH: City's best Premier League home moments against Everton

Match stats

Having lost four consecutive home league games against Everton between February 2008 and December 2010, we are now unbeaten in our last 13 against the Toffees at the Etihad (W8 D5).
Everton have won just one of their last 22 Premier League meetings with City (D5 L16), losing 12 of the last 13 (D1).
This is the second Premier League meeting between City and Everton on Boxing Day, with the Toffees winning the other 2-1 in 2004.
We have won six of our last seven Premier League Boxing Day games, with the exception being a 2-1 loss at Leicester in December 2018. Sinceour return to the top-flight in 2002, we have won all seven of our Boxing Day home games by an aggregate score of 24-7.
Everton haven’t lost any of their last eight Boxing Day away games (W5 D3) since a 4-0 loss at Aston Villa in 2005. Everton also won the last time they faced the reigning champions on this day, beating Leicester City 2-0 in 2016.
Everton have been involved in five of the nine 0-0 draws in the Premier League this season (56%). It’s the Toffees’ most goalless draws in a single campaign since 2008-09 (also 5), while they last had more in 1998-99 (8).
Only the current top four sides of Liverpool (16), Arsenal (16), Chelsea (19) and Nottingham Forest (19) have conceded fewer Premier League goals this season than Everton (21), with Jordan Pickford registering more clean sheets than any other keeper this season (7).

App coverage

Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from the Etihad in one place.

Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at around 11:15 (UK).

Paul Dickov and Steve Howey will be the guests on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.

During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison while our text commentary continues.

Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.

Short highlights from the match will be available from 17:15 (UK), whilst extended highlights from the encounter and a full-match replay [available on CITY+] can be accessed from midnight.