Everton at Manchester City: Predicted Line-Up | Switch to Back Five, Simms to Feature?

I think every man and his dog has written off Everton here. And rightly so.

Everton have scored 12 goals in 16 Premier League outings so far this season. Erling Haaland has 20 from 14 alone.

Does it even matter how we line-up? No.

But let me take a punt anyway.

Here’s how the Mighty Blues of Everton (will probably) line up at the Etihad.

Who’s Out?

Yerry Mina put in a record 76 minutes before pulling up injured at Wolves. However, he’s surprisingly only a “doubt” for this one with a mild hamstring injury. It would be madness to risk him though.

Conor Coady is available once again, though, and he’ll line up alongside James Tarkowski. There’s a good chance we’ll see a change in shape here though, and I’d wager Ben Godfrey also starts.

Frank Lampard surprisingly revealed Dominic Calvert- Lewin is available for this one – although there are big question marks over his fitness. For Frank, he may feel that DCL is his best hope of shooing his own vultures as the club looks to make a decision who should be guiding the January transfer business.

Other than that, it’s just James Garner and Andros Townsend who remain out.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS WOLVES

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan, Jakupovic

Defenders: Keane, Mina (DOUBT), Godfrey, Tarkowski, Holgate, Coady, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson, Vinagre, Welch

Midfielders: Doucoure, Iwobi, Davies, Onana, Gueye, Garner (INJURY), Price

Wingers: Gray, Gordon, Townsend (INJURY), McNeil, Mills

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Cannon, Simms

Tactics and Formation

Everton’s will probably shift to a back five in the thin hope of stifling the Manchester City attack.

That means Ben Godfrey will line-up alongside James Tarkowski and Conor Coady in defence. The body will be sacrificed from the front line, so it will likely be two of Demarai Gray, Anthony Gordon and Neal Maupay up top.

It would be daft to start DCL for this one with Brighton up on Tuesday, but this is Everton.

Also, what of Ellis Simms who has been recalled from his loan at Sunderland, does he get a look-in today?

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Nathan Patterson – 9/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 10/10

James Tarkowski – 10/10

Conor Coady – 10/10

Ben Godfrey – 7/10

Idrissa Gana Gueye – 9/10

Amadou Onana – 9/10

Alex Iwobi – 9/10

Anthony Gordon – 8/10

Demarai Gray – 7/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Seamus Coleman

Mason Holgate

Ruben Vinagre

Abdoulaye Doucoure

Tom Davies

Dwight McNeil

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Ellis Simms