Manchester City and Everton go head to head in a battle of uneven rivals but for those who know their Premier League, they know Everton is one side that cannot be taken for granted, even by the mighty Manchester City. Roberto Mancini has admitted after last Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic that they did not deserve their win over them, but he gladly took three points from the game that kept them within one point of league leaders and arch rivals Manchester United. Mancini will be happy that madcap Italian striker Mario Balotelli got amongst the goals against The Latics, but what will definitely disappoint him is the fact that his side hardly managed to create any clear cut chances other than the two goals.
Even then, he will know that the two goals scored by his side came from two lucky breaks and in spite of having the likes of Yaya Toure and David Silva in the team, the lack of creative vision will definitely be a concern for Mancini as they gear up for derby weekend up ahead. Moreover, having been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, Mancini is under immense pressure from the hierarchy of the club to produce the results and even if his side gets stuck against the likes of Everton, the pressure on him will increase further.
Everton, on the other hand, are lying in sixth position in the table, and are in the running to secure a UEFA Champions League spot and are playing some of their best football under manager David Moyes. They beat the mighty Manchester United in their first match of the season at home and have been one of the most consistent sides in the league so far. They managed to hold onto a 1-1 draw against a strong Arsenal side and in spite of going a goal down, they managed to peg back The Gunners to secure a valuable point.
The Toffees have 22 points from 14 games in the Premier League and a win against the mighty champions would take them above Tottenham if they fail to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage. The way the Premier League has panned out so far, nothing can be ruled out and if there is one side that is capable of causing an upset at the Etihad Stadium, it is Everton and Bobby Manc and his side shouldbe wary of that.