It's Everton vs Manchester City in the Premier League tonight
It's Everton vs Manchester City in the Premier League tonight
Welcome to our live coverage of the crucial Premier League clash between Everton and Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Kick-off is 8pm.
It's a massive match for both clubs. Sorry Chelsea's 3-0 home loss to resurgent Nottingham Forest earlier this afternoon means a victory for Everton this evening would move them above the FIFA Club World Cup champions into ninth and within two points of sixth spot.
But the Blues face a tall order against a rampant City side who need a seventh straight victory in all competitions to close the gap on Arsenal to three points in what is their first of two games in hand on the leaders.
It's all set up, then, to be an enthralling affair on the Mersey waterfront.
And Joe Thomas, Chris Beesley and Connor O'Neill are at Hill Dickinson Stadium to bring you all the build-up, including team news when it drops at 6.45pm, followed by an in-game commentary stream and the best post-match reaction and analysis.
The Manchester City boss has has this to say on his side's first-ever visit to Everton's new home: "The old Everton stadium was so cool and so British and I loved to go there, but I'm looking forward to go to the new stadium.
"They defend really, David Moyes knows exactly what to do... set-pieces with (James) Tarkowski... they always have been tough.
"The game we won here (at the Etihad Stadium, 2-0 in October) with two or three actions, but we were not good and I think think we are better now.
"We can't have any result but win, win, win."
Pep Guardiola speaks at his Manchester City press conference to preview Monday's match at Everton
Pep Guardiola speaks at his Manchester City press conference to preview Monday's match at Everton
Manchester City complete the Premier League set for 2025/26, Everton's first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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Hello everyone and welcome to the live blog from Hill Dickinson Stadium for Everton's penultimate home game of the season against Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola hasn't lost to the Blues since his first visit to Goodison Park in January 2017, so can David Moyes' men pull off an upset tonight?
Continuing in his programme notes, David Moyes has stressed the importance Evertonians can play this evening.
He said: "Tonight’s match sees us approaching the end of our first season at our new home and I think we can say it has been a successful transition.
"After tonight we will have just one more game at our new home this campaign. We have really enjoyed the energy and the passion in the new ground and I believe the move has elevated Everton in many ways. We hope the stadium gets to see success on the field in the future.
"We have had some ups and downs here this season, but history tells you that most clubs going to a new stadium can take time to transition. However, as staff and players, we have really enjoyed our experience of being here.
"There have been full houses at every single match, massively elevated crowd numbers and I have sensed a greater belief from our supporters.
"Your support here in the derby match was exceptional and I believe the players gave everything they had.
"We need the same from you tonight and if we get that it will inspire the players to deliver a powerful performance and hopefully see us pick up three vital points."
This is Everton's seventh Premier League match this season on a Monday night.
The scheduling has understandably angered Evertonians, particularly those with young children.
And it's an issue that Blues boss David Moyes has addressed in his programme notes this evening:
We’d like to thank all of you supporters for helping to sell out the stadium for every single home match this season, but especially during these difficult Monday night fixtures, which we’ve had seven of this season.I’m sure when you were buying your season tickets, that didn’t figure in your thinking, and you weren’t planning for so many games to be staged on a Monday evening.We also must not lose sight of the fact that these kick-offs affect the ability of a new generation of fans, our younger supporters, to come to games because of school commitments the next day.The lateness of the kick-offs and the increased capacity of the stadium makes it more difficult for everybody to get away quickly from the area, meaning more late nights for everybody.The fixture list this season has obviously been more difficult for everybody, including the Premier League, as a result of UEFA’s new competitions and so many English clubs being involved. We still harbour ambitions ourselves to be one of those clubs.But the long, established culture of English football being played at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon has steadily been eroded. We accept the TV revenue which comes in to the clubs is so important and we are grateful for that, but we are sure there could be a better balance.
Despite naming a much-changed team, Nottingham Forest stormed to a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier this afternoon.
Chelsea's sixth straight Premier League defeat is good news for Everton, who would move above the FIFA Club World Cup champions with a victory this evening.
And crucially, it would leave the Blues level on points with eighth-placed Brighton and within two points of sixth-placed Bournemouth.
Brighton lost 3-1 at Newcastle United on Saturday but elsewhere over the weekend, Brentford, who are seventh, and Bournemouth both enjoyed 3-0 home victories.
And welcome to our live Everton vs Manchester City blog. Kick-off is 8pm at Hill Dickinson Stadium but stick with us, because we'll have plenty of build-up before then.
This feels like a pivotal match for both clubs, doesn't it?
Just one point from the last nine has left Everton facing an uphill battle to qualify for Europe but with some results going their way over the bank holiday weekend - more of which shortly - all hope is not lost.
City, meanwhile, simply cannot afford to drop points this evneing if they want to beat Arsenal to the title. They are currently six points behind the table-topping Gunners ahead of playing their first of two games in hand.
So, as I said, this is a big one. Let's do this!