Manchester City can go top of the Premier League table for Christmas if they can see off Everton at Eastlands (City 8/11, Everton 4/1, Draw 5/2 – Match Betting), but many observers will be watching to see if Carlos Tevez plays and how well he does should he feature.
Tevez (7/2 Premiership Top Scorer) has scored 10 of City’s 24 league goals this season and the side have never lost a Premier League match in which he has scored.
However, he is now at odds with his employers after handing in a transfer request last weekend, citing an irreparable breakdown in his relationship with “certain executives” as the reason.
City have insisted that Tevez will not be sold in January’s transfer window, while boss Roberto Mancini insists that he will do all he can to ensure Tevez stays put to see out his contract which expires in 2014.
Tevez’s representative Kia Joorabchian claims the Argentine will continue to give 100 per cent when ever he pulls on a City shirt, but reports that he could lose the captaincy to Kolo Toure for the Toffees game will place a question mark over how committed he will be.
City have not lost in their last seven league outings, but they do struggle for goals on home turf with only eight so far this term – the joint lowest in the Premier League – so Tevez’s involvement could prove crucial in this clash (EVS – Anytime Goalscorer).
Mancini has a strong squad to choose from with only Nigel De Jong definitely missing due to suspension.
Meanwhile, Everton arrive at Eastlands without a win in their last eight games and are minus the suspended Mikel Arteta, while Steven Pienaar, Tony Hibbert and John Heitinga are injury doubts.
The omens are in favour of the Toffees, who have won on their last three visits to face the Citizens and they have not conceded a goal in any of those encounters.
Anything less than a victory will be the longest boss David Moyes has gone without a win since taking over at Goodison Park, and will equal the record of nine matches without a win recorded back in 1999.
City are expected to win this comfortably, but the potential unsettling effect of the Tevez saga could give Everton a chance to sneak a share of the spoils on a happy hunting ground for the Merseysiders.
Value Bet: Correct Score 0-0 Draw @ 9/1
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