Manchester City arrive at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time on Monday night with a familiar sense of inevitability. Pep Guardiola has his side in the middle of an essential winning sequence, having secured six victories on the bounce across all competitions.

While they may sit six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table at kickoff, the fact they have two games in hand means the title race remains in their control. After securing their spot in the FA Cup final with a hard-fought win over Southampton, the treble fantasy is starting to look like a concrete reality for the Sky Blues.

For Everton, the atmosphere is considerably more somber. David Moyes has seen his team’s European ambitions dented by two consecutive 2-1 defeats, both of which were decided by gut-wrenching goals in stoppage time. While the Toffees have been competitive, failing to see out matches against Liverpool and West Ham has left them in the bottom half of the table.

Facing a City side that has won eight straight away games against them is a daunting task, but Moyes will hope that the return of Beto from concussion protocol can provide the offensive spark needed to stun the champions-elect.

What are the best picks for Everton vs Manchester City?

Back Manchester City to win

The tactical battle between Guardiola and Moyes has been incredibly one-sided over the years. The City boss is unbeaten in his last 15 meetings with Moyes, winning 12 of those encounters.

City have also proven they can win ugly when needed, as seen in recent narrow triumphs over Burnley and Southampton.

Given Everton have not beaten City in 17 attempts, it is nearly impossible to look past an away win for a team that has forgotten how to lose in May.

Erling Haaland to score anytime

After being rotated recently to manage his workload, Haaland is expected to be restored to the starting lineup on Monday. The Norwegian remains the most clinical finisher in world football and faces an Everton backline that has shown a worrying tendency to lose concentration in the final minutes of games.

With creative outlets like Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku also expected to return to the XI, Haaland should receive the service necessary to find the net.

Over 2.5 total goals

While City have been defensively solid, conceding only twice in their last six games, Everton’s recent matches have been high-scoring affairs. Both of the Toffees’ last two outings ended in 2-1 scorelines, and the return of Beto—who has four goals in his last three appearances—gives Everton a genuine goal threat.

City’s rested big-hitters are likely to contribute to a high tally as they look to improve their goal difference in the closing stages of the title race.

Where can I watch Everton vs Manchester City?

USA viewers can stream the match live on NBC Sports and Peacock at 3:00 p.m. ET.

UK viewers can watch live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 19:00 BST for a 20:00 kick-off.

What is Everton’s current form?

W-L-W-D-L-L

What is Manchester City’s current form?

W-D-D-W-W-W

What is Everton’s predicted team?

Pickford; O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto

Injured: Jack Grealish, Jarrad Branthwaite

What is Manchester City’s predicted team?

Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Silva, Gonzalez; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland

Injured: Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias

Doubt: Rodri

READ NEXT: Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest picks, predictions and how to watch

18+ UK/19+ Canada/21+ USA. Please play responsibly. This content is informational, not financial advice.