By history 
Alright folks, here’s how I tackled breaking down Man City’s likely setup against Everton today. Just sat down at my desk this morning, coffee brewing, and figured it out step by step.
Grabbing the Footage
First things first, I needed to see the patterns. I pulled up five recent Man City league games and Everton’s last three matches, especially their tough away game at Brighton. Didn’t go for the fancy stat sites right away, just watched the actual video feeds. Looked for what Pep usually does, who plays where, and how Everton sit back.
Pen and Paper Phase
Seriously, old school. Got out a notepad and scribbled stuff down as I watched:
- Saw City always use four guys at the back lately. Walker wide right, Dias and Gvardiol central, Ake or someone tucked in left. Simple.
- In midfield, Rodri hardly ever crosses halfway. Stays put. Then Silva and De Bruyne (if fit!) buzzing ahead, finding little pockets. Made little circles for those positions.
- Up top, Haaland hugs the last defender like glue, and Grealish keeps hugging the left sideline. It’s predictable, but it works.
- For Everton, it was grim. Dyche-ball is real. Five defenders, four midfielders packed tight in front. Long balls up to Calvert-Lewin. Just terrible to watch, but effective defensively sometimes.
Went through about two pots of coffee doing this. Dog barged in once, notebook nearly ended up on the floor.
Figuring Out the Puzzle
Okay, so how does Pep unlock that parked bus? Here’s what clicked:
- They’ll need Walker right up the line on the right. Everton hates attacks down that side. Saw it in the Brighton tape.
- Grealish can’t just stay wide. He has to cut inside, drag defenders with him. Makes space for Ake to sneak forward underneath. Wrote that down in big letters.
- Silva and De Bruyne have to be really narrow, like almost on top of each other, pulling those deep Everton midfielders out of position. Creates gaps between the lines.
- Haaland? He just has to keep making runs behind, even if he loses them. Wears down the center-backs.
Key is moving Everton’s rigid blocks around, making them shift. That’s when they crack.
Predicting the Starting Spots
Based on all that tape and scribbling, here’s who I think Pep starts and where they’ll mostly play:
Ederson (duh)
Walker (Right Back, high up)
Dias & Gvardiol (Center Backs)
Ake (Left Back, but comes inside)
Rodri (Deep Midfield, holds the fort)
De Bruyne & Silva (Central Midfield, drifting right and center)
Grealish (Left Wing, cuts inside)
Foden (Right Wing, moves central)
Haaland (Up Top, constant menace)
Think Kovačić might be in for KDB if Kev’s still not 100%, but KDB changes things massively.
The Big Takeaway
It’s gonna be all about City having the ball constantly. Everton will sit ten men behind it. City’s wide defenders (Walker, Ake) become really important, plus Silva and KDB/Foden finding tiny pockets to play clever passes. If Everton somehow holds on 0-0 at half-time, could get frustrating. Need an early goal to force Everton out a tiny bit. Betting on City, but it won’t be a blowout if Everton defends like last week. Done. Time for lunch.
