Premier League football returns to the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City welcome Everton to the Blues side of Manchester. City won their last match 1-0 at Brentford before the international break, but
will be without midfielder Rodri, who went off injured in that win.
City are currently fifth in the Premier League and victory against the Toffees could take them to within a point of the leaders, depending on results elsewhere.
They face an Everton side that is showing sign of recovery from the last few years of struggle, and the Toffees are sitting pretty in 8th place, just two points behind the Blues. Much of their revival has been put down to Jack Grealish, with the City man moving to Merseyside on loan during the summer.
The former Villa man will miss out as he will be unable to play against his parent club and it will be interesting to see how Everton adapt without him.
Form
Everton are not in a bad run of form. Since losing on the opening day at newly promoted Leeds United, the Toffees won their next two matches at home to Brighton (2-0) and away to Wolves (2-3), before playing out a goalless draw with Aston Villa. A narrow 2-1 defeat at Liverpool, they drew at home to league strugglers West Ham, casting doubts once again on the side. But the Jekyll and Hyde team put in a shift to beat previously unbeaten Crystal Palace to get themselves back on the win row.
Away from home, Everton have won just one so far, scoring four and conceding five and are yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels so far.
Danger men
Iliman Ndiaye is Everton’s top scorer so far. The Senegal international has scored three goals from seven matches, including the first ever goal scored at their new stadium. Ndiaye has attempted just six shots so far, giving him a goal conversion rate of 50%, but boasts a shot accuracy rating of 83%.
Everton will miss Grealish on Saturday as the midfielder is their top assist man with four and has created 17 chances overall. He has attempted 222 passes, with 190 completed, giving Grealish a pass accuracy of 86%.
The Boss
David Moyes is the man in charge once again at Everton, as the Toffees try to emulate his first spell in charge between 2002 and 2013. The former United boss took the Toffees into the Champions League but later left for United to ruin them after Alex Ferguson retired.
Moyes spent 12 years managing United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham (twice), before finally returning to Everton in January.
Moyes has managed 29 matches in his second spell, winning 12 and losing 8, giving him a win ratio of 41%.
Last Time Out
On Boxing Day last season, City welcomed Everton to Manchester. Bernardo Silva put the Blues in front on 14 minutes. Ndiaye levelled for the visitors in the 36th minute and Erling Haaland missed a second-half penalty as the Blues laboured to a 1-1 draw.