History suggests City should as they’ve lost just one of their previous 12 Premier League finales.
Manchester City
It’s Coronation Day for champions Manchester City, hoping to put on a show for returning fans. History suggests they should as they’ve lost just one of their previous 12 Premier League finales. Although standards have started to slip in recent games, City conceded 2 goals in three consecutive games for the first time this season. Pep Guardiola’s men have also uncharacteristically conceded exactly two goals in each of their previous four home league matches. Although you’d have to go back to December 2010 for the last time, they either conceded two goals at home to Everton or suffered an Etihad competitive defeat vs the Merseyside club.
Everton
Everton go into this game level on points with Tottenham, although their inferior goal difference means they need to better the North Londoners’ result to secure a European spot. Their recent six-game form makes the result difficult to predict, yet no matter which way this goes, expect the margin of any victory to be tight given five of the games in that sequence were settled by way of a single goal. A win for the ‘Toffees’ would see them match a club record of 12 league away wins that they set as league champions back in 1984/85. To do this, scoring first will be essential given that they’ve won 14 of the 15 Premier League away outings in which they have opened the scoring under Carlo Ancelotti.
City’s Gabriel Jesus has netted more goals vs Everton (seven) than any other side – two of the last three opened his team’s scoring. Everton’s Richarlison ended an 11-game goal drought last time out, and he’s netted two goals across his last two Premier League appearances vs City.
Everton are one of five sides yet to win a Premier League away game after conceding first.