Manchester City must respond to Arsenal's win over Fulham on Saturday when they go to Everton on Monday as the Premier League title race continues.
The weekend Premier League programme comes to an end with two matches on Monday and the final game between Everton and Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium (8pm kick-off) is a huge contest.
City went to the top of the table when they won 1-0 at Burnley in their last league match, but rivals Arsenal have been able to win twice since then against Newcastle and Fulham to go six points ahead again.
The Citizens need to win their two games in hand with a goal difference of at least plus four to reclaim first place and that challenge begins with a tricky trip to Merseyside.
Everton are still in the hunt for a European place next season in 11th place in the table, which is just four points behind sixth-placed Brentford with a game in hand.
We have selected a football betting four-leg bet builder on the key top-flight contest, which pays out at 7/1 if successful.
Everton v Manchester City Bet Builder
Man City to win @ 19/40
Under 3.5 goals @ 1/2
Rayan Cherki 1+ shots on target @ 8/13
Nico O’Reilly 1+ shots on target @ 11/10
Pays out at 7/1
City can handle the pressure on the road
Manchester City have only two away games left in the Premier League this season and they should be up to the task of winning the first of them at Everton on Monday night.
Pep Guardiola would acknowledge that Arsenal have done their part well by re-establishing the six-point gap at the top, but the Citizens are finding their trademark late-season winning groove and can make it four successive wins in the league.
City’s last slip-up in the top flight was a 1-1 draw at West Ham, but that match fell between the two legs of their Champions League tie against Real Madrid and, with two home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace coming up next, they have no further distractions until the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
Everton have been playing well enough without converting that into points of late and they have taken only four points from their last five games, losing to Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham.
With only two wins in their last nine home league games, the Toffees are yet to make their new stadium a fortress and they look vulnerable to the title-chasers.
Leg 1: Man City to win @ 19/40
Efficient success more likely than a rout
City won the first meeting between these teams 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium and while goal difference looks increasingly likely to be important in the title race, they should be happy enough with any victory they can record in their away matches.
Only one of City’s last nine league games (a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest) has had more than three goals, and another match with under 3.5 goals is likely.
Everton’s games recently have been similarly lacking in fireworks, with 12 of their last 14 league games producing three or fewer goals, while the last four meetings between the teams have all generated exactly two goals.
Leg 2: Under 3.5 goals @ 1/2
Cherki can test home defence
Rayan Cherki has had a fine first season with Manchester City and broke the deadlock in their crucial 2-1 home win over Arsenal last month.
The summer signing from Lyon has not been shy at having a crack at goal of late, recording at least one shot on target in his last four Premier League matches, and he can keep that run going against Everton.
Leg 3: Rayan Cherki 1+ shots on target @ 8/13
O’Reilly not slow at coming forward
The highlight of Nico O’Reilly’s season was scoring both of City’s goals in the EFL Cup final win against Arsenal and he has continued to be a threat to their opponents going forward.
The league match against the Gunners was the only time in his last eight appearances that O’Reilly did not have a shot on target and he registered three of them from four total attempts in the visit to Burnley.
Leg 4: Nico O’Reilly 1+ shots on target @ 11/10
