Harry Kane’s stellar performance on Saturday condemned Manchester City to just their sixth defeat in all competitions this season.
Tottenham’s 3-2 win at the Etihad has opened up the title race, with Liverpool hoping to take advantage.
The Reds are still reliant on the champions making more slip-ups, however, and Pep Guardiola’s side now travel to Everton.
As Frank Lampard’s strugglers prepare to host the league leaders, here is how Pep Guardiola tends to react to a defeat judging by this season:
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Jesus could return
One of Guardiola’s trusted methods of bouncing back from a defeat is selecting the only recognised striker at the club, Gabriel Jesus.
In all but one of the games following a defeat this season, the Brazilian has started and he has often made a crucial impact.
In City’s 5-0 thumping of Norwich following an opening day defeat to Spurs, Jesus set up three of the home side’s goals. After being defeated by PSG, Jesus returned to assist Phil Foden’s equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Anfield.
City have been without Jesus since a 30-minute cameo away at Southampton in January but with the Brazilian back in training, it would not be a surprise to see him start the game against Everton.
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No sweeping changes
Guardiola has a reputation of being a manager who likes to tinker with his squad but that is not entirely fair.
If we ignore the League Cup defeat to West Ham and the Champions League loss to RB Leipzig – in a game after City had already clinched top spot in the group – Guardiola has made at most five changes for a game following a defeat.
Instead, he prefers to make small personnel changes, such as the two he made for a trip to Anfield or three when City hosted Club Brugge.
Given their League Cup elimination, City have been allowed a rare full week’s rest before their clash against Everton and considering the next game is an FA Cup tie, you can expect Guardiola to pick close to his first- choice XI for the trip to Goodison.
Shoring it up at the back
One of the main themes from City’s defeats this season which will concern Guardiola is how easy opponents have found it to score against them.
In the six losses so far, City have conceded a combined 10 goals and it seems then when Guardiola plans best how to bounce back, it is in the defence he starts.
In the games immediately following a defeat, City have conceded five goals, two of which came against Liverpool. Aside from the draw against Jurgen Klopp’s men, City have never conceded more than one goal following a defeat.
Everton have scored 28 goals this season, the eighth worst in the league, so it seems a tough ask for them this weekend.
City will go out and attack
Scoring goals is rarely an issue for City. Only Liverpool have scored more goals this season and finding the net has been a trusted way for Guardiola’s team to bounce back from a defeat.
In three of the five games following defeat, City have scored at least two. Against Norwich they hit five and Club Brugge they scored four. It is only Wolves and Crystal Palace who have managed to restrict them to one goal or fewer.
Considering Everton have the seventh worst defensive record this season, City fans can be confident in their chances of finding the net on Saturday.
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All that suggests that City’s team against Everton will largely look the same as the one that was beaten by Spurs, with some minor tweaks.
Expect Jesus to make a return – as long as he passes late fitness tests – and do not be surprised if the forward makes a game-changing contribution.
Manchester City’s predicted XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernardo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Jesus
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/OSVzWFn
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