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Pundit Chris Sutton has predicted Manchester City to play out a draw in their Premier League clash against Everton on Wednesday, December 27.
The Cityzens come into the game on the back of a triumphant FIFA Club World Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia. They beat Urawa Reds 3-0 in the semi-finals before hammering Fluminense 4-0 in the final. They are fifth in the Premier League standings, six points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Everton, meanwhile, are 16th, four points above the relegation zone. They come into the game on the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, December 23.
The Toffees had won their previous four fixtures before the Tottenham clash and also battled hard against Spurs. Hence, keeping their form in mind, Sutton has predicted them to hold Manchester City to a draw on Wednesday. He wrote in his column for BBC:
"I really like what Everton are doing and I can see them giving the world champions a good game here.
"Manchester City will kick into gear at some point but I am not sure it will happen at Goodison Park. We don't know if Erling Haaland will be fit to start, and it's probably too soon for Kevin de Bruyne to come back from injury too."
He added:
"Everton are relentless at the moment, and even against Tottenham they kept going and almost snatched a point at the end. I can see them getting some reward this time."
Prediction: 1-1
Manchester City advance in pursuit of 2 young talents: Reports
As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are set to sign Leeds United U18 midfielder Finley Gorman. The 15-year-old has already signed a contract with the Cityzens despite having received offers from three other Premier League sides.
Gorman has made five appearances for Leeds U21 side this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He will now join City in January.
Pep Guardiola's side have also advanced in their attempts to sign River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri. The 17-year-old will sign for over €20 million but will stay at his current club until the summer of 2024.
Echeverri has made six appearances for River Plate across competitions this season, providing one assist.
