It’s been a baptism of fire for manager Frank Lampard as Everton coach, and it doesn’t get any easier this weekend when the Toffees host league leaders Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s men were stunned by a late Harry Kane header as they were beaten by Tottenham, and now look to bounce back against an Everton side in danger of being dragged into a relegation dogfight.

Unsurprisingly, Manchester City are the big road favorites, as they face an Everton team in free-fall.

Toffees in a sticky situation

Last time Everton had a league game at Goodison Park, they beat Leeds 3-0, and everything was looking a little brighter for Frank Lampard. However, last week’s 2-0 loss on the road to Southampton, coupled with a few big results for Norwich and Burnley, mean Everton are right up against it again.

The Toffees’ league record since October is abysmal. There’s little more to say. Their record since then reads 2-12-3, and they’ve conceded an average of two goals a game. No team in the top flight has as poor of form in their last eight games as Everton.

Their last 10 games against Manchester City doesn’t make pleasant reading, either, as they are 0-9-1 against the Citizens in all competitions in the last five years. In those 10 games, they’ve scored just six goals and conceded 27.

It’s a bleak outlook for Lampard, who will be nervously looking over his shoulder, with Everton just four points clear of the relegation zone and in serious trouble of being dragged into the scrap. The midfield is a serious point of weakness, and Lampard has admitted the team are playing with a severe lack of confidence.

If there is any silver lining, it’s that any good work from Everton has come at home this season, where their league record is 5-5-1. They beat Arsenal at Goodison this season and took a point off Tottenham, so that should give them some hope. Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure could also return from injury, which would help strengthen the Toffees in the middle of the park.

Still, it would take something very special for Everton to stop a City team looking for a bounce-back game.

City can’t afford another slip-up

Tottenham stunned Manchester City last week and in doing so completed a rare league double over Guardiola’s men, as they won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the opening weekend of the season. That defeat was the first and only time Manchester City have lost on the road all season in the Premier League, as they’ve since posted an almost flawless record of 10-0-2 away from home.

The Citizens have scored an average of 2.1 goals a game away from home in the league this year and kept clean sheets in 46% of their road games. It’s a remarkable season for Guardiola’s men, who have 63 points after 26 games — and at the same point in the last 10 years, they’ve only put in a better performance once (2017-18).

Despite that performance, City won’t want any more slip-ups with Liverpool keeping them honest at the top of the table. Jurgen Klopp’s men closed the gap last week, and although City remain firm favorites to retain the title, they’ll not want to invite more pressure.

Last time City lost two league games on the spin was all the way back in December 2018. Since then, they’ve lost 18 times in the league and have a 17-0-1 record in the league games immediately afterwards. In the 17 games won, the average score is 3.6 – 0.47, so there is certainly a bounce-back factor.

City have scored three or more goals in 65% of those games and kept clean sheets in 71% of them.

Everton vs. Manchester City Betting Trends

• Manchester City have won 54% of their league games without conceding a goal this season
• Seven of the last eight league matches between Man City and Everton have had Over 2.5 goals
• Everton have scored in five of their last six home games in all competitions
• 54% of Manchester City’s away league games this season have had Over 2.5 goals
• 64% of Everton’s home league games this season have had Over 2.5 goals
• Manchester City have averaged 3.08 goals a game against bottom-half sides this season

Expect City to come out all guns blazing

When City bounce back from a defeat, they bounce back with a vengeance.

Remember the saying about not poking a bear? Well, Harry Kane’s 95th-minute winner for Tottenham was the equivalent of smacking this bear, and now Everton are going to suffer the consequences.

The Toffees are in poor form as it is, and not even a bouncing Goodison Park crowd will be able to help them with the punishment that is coming their way. City have a week to mull over the Spurs defeat and will come out chomping at the bit against Everton.

This could turn ugly fast, and it would be no surprise to see City easily cover a one-goal spread. Bernardo Silva has two goals in his last two games against Everton and can help add some juice to a Same Game Combo.

Score prediction: Everton 0-3 Manchester City (+700)

Everton vs. Manchester City: Manchester City to win (-1) on the spread (-137)

Same Game Combo: Both teams to score (No), Manchester City to score Over 2.5 goals, Bernardo Silva to score (+750)